Valentines Day Candy!
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With Valentine’s Day just a couple of days away and so many fun parties we are sure you have planned, we want to provide some recommendations on healthy sweets and treats to share with your loved ones, but also the ones to be careful of. We’re looking out for healthy teeth and healthy smiles!!
You want to avoid the sticky, gooey, chewy things! These are candies and sweets such as fruit snacks, fruit roll-ups, gummy bears, jelly beans, skittles, airheads, now & laters, taffy, toffee, caramel, etc. These types of treats stick to the grooves of the teeth for a LONG time and are not easily cleansed by our saliva. Sugars that are in sticky form have the greatest risk for cavities!
You want to avoid the hard candies, too. These are jolly ranchers, life savers, lollipops, etc. These also stick to the teeth and are difficult to come off. This means they spend a long time exposing the teeth to sugar and acid damage.
Finally, you want to avoid those high acidic candies. These include sour candies, sour sprays, fun dip, altoids, sweet tarts, sprees, etc. Acid is dangerous to the outside enamel layer of teeth, and when it causes breakdown, then a cavity forms.
Healthier sweet or snack options include chocolates because they melt, peanuts which produce salivary flow, and fruits like apples and cranberries that have natural sugars and inhibit bacteria from adhering to the teeth! Trail mix typically has a mix of nuts, seeds, grains, dried fruit, and chocolate so you are getting fiber, protein, and many beneficial plant compounds. But be careful of the ones with added sugars or granola bar-types because they will have a sticky-sugar component to them.