Trick-or-treat season is upon us! Fall leaves, pumpkin spice, apple cider, bonfires — and all the wonderful things that remind us the temperature is finally dropping and life is getting just a little cozier. For most of us in the Lowcountry, cooler weather is a welcome treat after a long, hot summer. And, of course, we look forward to all the goodies that come with the changing seasons.
In the dental world, any new cavity diagnosed in the week or two after Halloween is sarcastically blamed on all that hard-earned candy. But here’s the truth: one night of Halloween candy usually isn’t what causes a cavity.
So, how does a cavity actually form?
Our mouths are home to hundreds of types of bacteria. One of the bacteria associated with cavities is Streptococcus mutans. These little bugs love sugar. When we eat sugar or carbohydrates, the bacteria use them for energy and produce acid. That acid attacks the outer layer of our teeth, and repeated acid attacks can eventually create a cavity.
The important word here is repeated.
Eating a piece of candy doesn’t automatically mean you’ll get a cavity. The bigger problem is how often your teeth are exposed to sugar throughout the day. And while we tend to think of sugar as something found in candy, soda and desserts, many everyday carbohydrates eventually break down into sugars, too.
Think about the difference between eating a piece of candy after dinner and slowly sipping a sugary drink or grazing on snacks throughout the entire day. The total amount of sugar might be similar, but the second scenario gives those cavity-causing bacteria many more opportunities to produce acid and attack your teeth.
So this Halloween, don’t blame the candy!
Enjoy your favorite treats, preferably in one sitting rather than nibbling on them all day. Then brush, floss and get back to your normal routine. And if you find yourself with more candy than you know what to do with, consider using some of it for a little Halloween creativity—like building a gingerbread house later in the season.
So, goblins, go grab all the booty in those trick-or-treat bags. Just don’t let your candy become an all-day buffet for the bacteria in your mouth!
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