ISLAMABAD, OCT 23 (ONLINE): Sure, Halloween is about dressing up in costumes and embracing all things scary, but for a lot of kids (and adults), the holiday is really all about the candy.
\nAs good as a bag full of treats can taste, they often come with a cost \u2014 dental issues.
\nIn fact, one report by Shiny Smiles Veneers showed that 35% of Americans have suffered from candy-related dental issues.
\n\u201cI think it\u2019s important to make good choices when it comes to what we eat and a candy treat from time to time is ok, however, daily, and frequent consumption of candy will eventually have negative consequences to our teeth, requiring dental treatment,\u201d Kristin Lenz Galbreath, DMD, owner of Union Grove Family Dental in Wisconsin, told Healthline.
\n6 candy-related dental issues to keep in mind this Halloween
\nThe report identified the following as the most common dental issues caused by candy.<\/p>\n
Teeth sensitivity
\nBacteria in the mouth can metabolize simple carbohydrates (sugar), and in turn, lower the overall pH in your mouth, creating an acidic environment, said Amy Sliwa Lies, DDS, owner of FiveSix Family Dental in Illinois.
\n\u201cAn acidic environment can erode the enamel on your teeth, making them more sensitive and more susceptible to decay,\u201d she told Healthline.
\nAlso, even when sugar is not metabolized, it can cause sensitivity on areas without enamel.
\n\u201cThe way your teeth \u2018feel\u2019 is through tiny little tubules in the dentin layer of the tooth. These tubules have fluid in them. The fluid expands and contracts in response to hot, cold, sweets, etcetera, and this is interpreted by the nerve of the tooth, contained, along with tiny blood vessels, in the pulp of the tooth,\u201d said Lies.
\nPeople with gum recession are commonly sensitive to sugar, added Lenz Galbreath.
\n\u201cAdditionally, a common complaint for a tooth that already has a cavity is sensitivity to sweets,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Tooth pain
\nIf candy causes damage to the teeth, fillings, or crowns, this can cause pain.
\n\u201cBiting into a tooth and cracking it can be very painful. A cracked tooth that is cracked into the nerve or root of the tooth is extremely painful,\u201d said Lenz Galbreath.<\/p>\n
Damaged fillings and crowns
\nIf candy is sticky, it can pull out a piece of filling or pull off a crown, and if it is very hard, it can break a filling or a tooth, said Lies.
\n\u201cAfter repeated exposure to candy and the oral bacteria digesting the sugar into acid and eroding the enamel, tooth decay can form. While it doesn\u2019t directly harm the filling material this way, the decay can form at the margin of the filling or crown (the edge where tooth meets filling\/crown),\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Chipped or cracked tooth
\nLenz Galbreath often sees patients months after they have broken a tooth.
\n\u201cA patient will know they cracked or chipped a tooth when eating but it doesn\u2019t hurt, so the patient does not see the dentist right away,\u201d she said. \u201cHowever, a few months later it will start hurting because a cavity has developed on the tooth or there is a nerve exposure.\u201d
\nThis is problematic because a cracked or chipped tooth has lost its outer layer, the enamel, and the cavity progresses at a faster rate, increasing the likelihood for more treatment, such as a root canal or crown, Lenz Galbreath explained.<\/p>\n
Jaw discomfort
\nChewing hard or sticky candies puts added stress and work on the temporomandibular joints (TMJ), which are the two joints that connect the lower jaw to the skull.
\n\u201cRepeated candy chewing will lead to pain and inflammation to the TMJ and muscles,\u201d said Lenz Galbreath.
\nHyperextending or opening the jaw wide to eat large candy can also cause discomfort.<\/p>\n
Gum infection
\nWhile the report did not mention gum infection, Lies said the most common candy-related issue she sees is little pieces of candy getting caught under the gums and not being removed by floss.
\n\u201cSometimes it will stay wedged under the gums, usually between teeth, and then can create a periodontal abscess (localized infection in the gums),\u201d she said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
ISLAMABAD, OCT 23 (ONLINE): Sure, Halloween is about dressing up in costumes and embracing all things scary, but for a lot of kids (and adults), the holiday is really all about the candy. As good as a bag full of treats can taste, they often […]<\/p>\n
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