When you get cosmetic dentistry, your smile is tougher for it. Porcelain veneers are durable and stain resistant. Dental crowns are strong. Tooth-colored fillings blend right in. Today’s cosmetic dentistry not only makes teeth look better it makes them work and feel better too. Halloween candy, however, can cause major problems in appearance and function.
Here are just some of the dos and don’ts of eating Halloween candy:
1. Don’t touch the chewy stuff.
Fruit and chocolate chews, bubble gum, taffy, candy apples, caramel – there are plenty of alluring chewy and sticky candies on Halloween, but allowing yourself to indulge even once is putting your cosmetic dentistry in jeopardy.
Any type of gummy candy that adheres to your teeth – and hangs on for dear life – can easily take some dental work along with it once you pry these sweets off your enamel. Dentists see patients every November who have lost a filling, crown, or something else because of a hard-stuck piece of Halloween candy.
2. Do enjoy chocolate.
Of all the trick-or-treating treats available, chocolate is the kindest to your teeth. Chocolate doesn’t cling to teeth like other types of candies. It is easily washed off by water and saliva so it is less likely to hang around and eat away at tooth enamel and threaten decay. A soft chocolate bar or peanut butter cup is unlikely to damage your teeth or damage your veneers, bridges, crowns, tooth bonding, or dental implants.
3. Don’t eat nuts.
Chocolate with nuts, on the other hand, is a different story. Bite into an almond or peanut the wrong way and you could break off a piece of cosmetic dentistry, or even damage a natural tooth. It’s tempting to simply chomp on that lollipop or bite down on a hard candy or jawbreaker that just won’t dissolve fast enough. One wrong scrape of the teeth though and you could end up needing an emergency dental visit to fix a cracked or chipped tooth or address damaged cosmetic dental work.
4. Do get it all out of your system at one time.
Because Halloween candy shows up en masse before October has even begun and sticks around long after October 31, you will be tempted for weeks by sweet stuff. Nibbling on candy here and there may seem kind to your waistline, but it’s dangerous for your teeth.
When you eat a piece of candy, wait a few hours, eat another piece, you’re setting up a system of giving your teeth a regular little sugar bath. When you indulge in your candy during a meal when the saliva is already flowing, or when you eat a bunch of candy at one time, you’re only minimally exposing your teeth to all that sugar. So dig in to your favorite candy all at once, preferably for dessert and not just as a midday snack. Your cosmetic dentistry and your natural teeth will thank you for it.
Schedule a consultation with Dr. Chi Fu at Chester Hill Dentistry in Rye to talk about cosmetic dentistry and what kind of spooky smile makeover is right for you.