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Creighton Dental School Instructor Has Tips About Halloween Candy

The National Retail Federation says roughly 9 billion dollars will be spent on Halloween this year -- nearly 3 billion of it on candy. 

Creighton University School of Dentistry instructor, Ashley Aubry, says when it comes to children and dental health, it is not only what type of candy that matters, but also how much time they spend eating it.

“If they’re anything like my children, they are going to make sure they keep that candy in their mouth all day long. So, whether it’s sucking on a hard piece of candy like a Jolly Rancher, or eating a bag full of gummy bears, the key thing is to make sure that they don’t consume the food all day. And that they do take the time to brush and drink plenty of water, because without that, that sticky chewy food will stay on their teeth all day.” 

The American Dental Association says dark chocolate is the least harmful candy because it washes off the teeth relatively easily.  It also contains less sugar than milk chocolate. For their explanation of the pros and cons of different types of candy as well as their 12 Tips to a Cavity-free Halloween, the website is mouthhealthy.org.