Top 10 Halloween Candies That Are Bad For Your Kids

Children love Halloween because of all the candy treats they can get. Hoarding all of these is what makes this holiday fun. And while we all know candies can be bad for teeth, indulging in this tradition  once a year should be harmless. Except when the kids receive the following types of candies. Here are the top 10 Halloween candies that are bad for your kids.

1. Jawbreakers
Though jawbreakers come in different sizes, the bigger ones are appropriately named, as it really can break the jaw. The candy is so big that a 6-year old will have a hard time biting on it, let alone finishing one ball. Your child could be eating this for hours, so imagine the amount of sugar setting on her mouth. Jawbreakers are known to chip the tooth, as well because the outer surface is really hard. Even the smaller ones have the same hard outer shell. Eating this candy is an injury waiting to happen.

2. Black Licorice
Not only is this candy unappealing to children, because of its color and bitter sweet taste, but the fact that it is black can cause staining of the teeth. If the child is unable to brush properly after eating, the stain could set and make the teeth turn dark and yellow.

3. Tootsie Rolls
These candies have been around for ages.  While it is supposed to be chewable and easy to eat, the candy roll could stay stuck in the teeth. Old batches of Tootsie Rolls also feel like bad beef in that masticating takes minutes to do, before you can actually swallow. You could end up hurting your jaw because of it.

4. Gold Chocolate Coins
It’s not just the chocolates that could be harmful to the teeth, the foil packaging may contain toxic compounds that make this candy treat disgusting. In fact, several years ago, a batch of these were recalled in Canada because the golden foils were found to be positive with melanine.

5. Sour Candies
Despite its taste and its name, sour candies actually contain a lot of sugar. In addition to this, the compounds that make this treat taste sour can be high on acid content, which can affect the composition of the tooth enamel. Some kids could develop sensitive teeth because of it. Sour candies can also change the ph level in the mouth, making it susceptible to bacteria. Thus, it makes the mouth more vulnerable to tooth decay.

6. Taffy Caramels
These stick everywhere in the mouth — the roof, the grooves of the teeth, the backside. And the longer it stays in the mouth, the more it attracts bacteria. If your letting your child indulge in this, you should also let her brush her teeth really, really well and drink or gargle with water often.

7. Lollipops
Colorful lollipops are attractive to children and these can be eaten in two different ways. Biting on its hard surface can lead to the chipping of the tooth. Letting the lollipop soften, by sticking and lingering it in the mouth can invite tooth decay, as this makes the oral environment ideal for bacteria to grow. Lollipop is, in fact, one of the biggest contributors to tooth decay.

8. Mentos
Hard on the outside and soft and chewy on the inside, Mentos is a lot similar to Jawbreakers. While this product was once promoted as a breath freshener, it actually is just as bad as other candies. The outer shell can cause chipping of the teeth, while the softer chewy part may not be as chewy as one would have hoped and it could hurt the jaw. Sipping on the Mentos and letting it sit in the mouth can also alter the composition of the oral cavity, causing bacteria to fester.

9. Peppermint Hard Candies
These look like really attractive holiday treats and the red and white color makes the candies appear really festive. But as its name suggest, it’s “hard candy” that can easily break teeth. Once a child successfully chews this candy into little pieces, there could be debris of it left in the crevices of the teeth, which could be very hard to brush and clean.

10. Necco Wafers
Necco Wafer doesn’t only taste like chalk, it is filled with artificial ingredients that is overall bad for the health. Kids do not particularly enjoying eating Necco Wafers anyway, as the taste is very synthetic.

There you have it! The top 10 Halloween candies that are bad for your kids. This Halloween, ensure your kids have fun, but stay healthy!

Whatever the time or season, dental health and proper oral care must never be neglected. The cost of dental treatments is expensive and not everything can be covered by dental insurace. So, it is a must to take care of your teeth at all times.