The Best (and Worst) Candy for Your Teeth - Periodontal Associates Inc (2024)

FAQs

What is the most unhealthy candy for your teeth? ›

Chewy/sticky sweets: Gummy candies, taffy, and even dried fruit can be difficult for children and adults to resist, but they are a serious source of tooth decay, particularly when they get stuck in the crevices between teeth and make it nearly impossible for saliva to wash away.

Gummy candies and other chewy, sticky goodies are the worst for your teeth because they get stuck on the surfaces and in between teeth, and they don't go away until you brush and floss. The longer those sugars coat your teeth, the higher your risk of damaging your enamel and getting cavities.

Prolonged sucking on sugary candy can lead to tooth decay and tarter buildup. That said, sucking on sugar-free hard candies, particularly those sweetened with xylitol, a natural sugar alcohol, can actually be good for your teeth. Xylitol is known for its protective effect on teeth.

Chewy Candies: Caramel, toffee, Twizzlers, fudge, and other chewy treats might hit your sweet spot – and then stay there for some time. Since these candies stick to your teeth, they have the staying power that provides bacteria with ample opportunity to consume the sugar, producing acids.

Not only can hard candies leave a sticky residue on your teeth, but if you are sucking on them for a long period of time, sugar is able to coat your entire mouth. In general, hard candies, especially caramels, should be avoided. Common hard candies include Werther's Original, Life Savers, Jolly Ranchers and Nerds.

The USDA reports that a half cup of vanilla ice cream contains a little more than 14 grams of sugar. That's about 56% of the recommended maximum amount of sugar adults should consume in a day. Consuming food that contains sugar produces acids that can eat away at your teeth's surface and cause cavities.

According to the article in the magazine of Academy of General Dentistry, What many people don't know is that Citric acid —which is used as flavor enhancer and preservative — can severely damage teeth and cause significant erosion. The amount of sugar the candy contains can be detrimental to the teeth.

In general, chocolate is one of the safest candy choices for dentures because of how it melts in your mouth. Just make sure to select chocolate that is free of nut pieces, chewy caramel or truffle centers.

What candy can you eat with dentures? ›

Chocolate without nuts or caramel is comfortable to eat when you have dentures. Dark chocolate even has antioxidants that benefit your teeth; of course, enjoyed in moderation. Hard candy can be a safe option if you suck on it instead of biting down.

Cheese, Milk, and Yogurt

Cheese is one of the best foods for healthy teeth for a number of reasons. First, it is low in sugar and high in calcium. It contains casein, which is a protein that is particularly useful for fortifying tooth enamel. Cheese is high in calcium, which is important for maintaining bone density.

Jolly ranchers, peppermints, and lifesavers are all hard enough to crack a tooth or break a crown. And splinters from a shattered hard candy could get stuck between your teeth or scratch up your gums. However, even if you do resist the temptation to crunch hard candy, you're going to be sucking on it for a long time.

Try as you might resist, it's likely that you're going to bite down at some point when you eat hard candy. Jolly ranchers, peppermints, and lifesavers are all hard enough to crack a tooth or break a crown. And splinters from a shattered hard candy could get stuck between your teeth or scratch up your gums.

Any candy that is sticky (taffy, starbursts, skittles, gummies, or licorice) clings to the tooth enamel. This effectively leaves a feast of sugar for harmful bacteria right on the delicate surface of your teeth.

Hard Candy is a Direct Threat to Your Teeth

Most importantly, hard candy will stain your teeth. If you are insistent on enjoying one or several pieces of hard candy, choose a variety that is beige, white or a light yellow in hue so it does not compromise your pearly whites.