Come Halloween and the atmosphere is filled with fun and of course candies which are an integral part of Halloween celebrations. The California Dental Hygienist’s Association (CDHA) issued a statewide warning to parents on the hazards of consuming sour candies.
These new generation candies enjoy popularity among the masses and people have the misconception that they are safer for your teeth as they are not sweet. People do not realize that the Ph of the sour candies are extremely acidic and are comparable to the levels of battery acid.
Some popular sour candies like Starburst, Warheads, Atomic Warheads, Laffy Taffy, Bubble Tape, and Sour Skittles are highly acidic in nature and may cause erosion of the enamel. This can lead to teeth sensitivity and tooth decay.
When the mouth becomes more acidic, the teeth become susceptible to damage. Candies are especially harmful as they are not just gulped down but chewed or sucked on for quite a while which simply means acidic environment for longer time and hence greater risk for tooth damage.
Erika Feltham who is a CDHA member and a registered Dental Hygienist states “With repeated exposure and frequency, sour candy can also lead to a host of oral health problems, including increased cavities, tooth sensitivity, staining, soft-tissue sensitivities and loss of shine.”
Keep in mind the following tips for this Halloween:
- Beware of the label “Sour or tart” on candies. Try to give sour candies a miss.
- Adults should try replacing the sour candies with non-sour sugarless candies of their children.
- Rinse your mouth with water immediately after consuming the candy.
- Do not brush immediately after having a sour candy. Its acidic nature would soften the tooth enamel and brushing your teeth means abrading this enamel.
{ 2 comments }
i am recently doing a science fair project on the harmful acids in sour candies. if people know what will happen by MAKING these candies and if they know what will happen when they eat it, why do they do it?? don’t they even care about their dental hygene??
@Jacquelyn Alice Sparrow -
Hey there Jacqyuelyn,
Well, its just that people tend to ignore the side effects of things that give them pleasure. Take the examples of smokers. They know what smoking does to them but still are adamant at the habit.Sour candies are popular amongst kids and its a known fact that kids don’t show much self-restraint. Its the job of the parents to educate kids and regulate what they eat.
Best of luck for your science project.
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