Cavities aren't the only Halloween candy hazard — many sweets can cause a fright to teeth and dental work even in adults, a dentist warns.
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dentist → cause → adults
Hard sweets can crack a tooth, while sticky treats can pull out dental work, potentially turning a trick-or-treat haul into an expensive dental visit, according to Dr. Marc Lazare, a New York City dentist who has practiced for nearly 30 years and focuses on biomimetic dentistry.
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who → crack → dentistry
But Lazare isn't trying to spook people.
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Lazare → try → people
"I'm never going to be the dentist who says, 'Don't enjoy Halloween.
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who → go → Halloween
,'" he told Fox News Digital.
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he → tell → Digital
"I love Halloween."
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I → love → Halloween
It's all about moderation, he said.
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he → say → moderation
As a dentist, he said he evaluates candy by how it could damage teeth: "Can it harm the enamel?
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it → say → enamel
Can it contribute to decay and cavities?
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it → contribute → decay
Can it pull out a filling or a crown?
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it → pull → filling
Can it crack a tooth?"
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it → crack → tooth
People with fillings, posts, crowns, existing cracks or teeth weakened by grinding are particularly vulnerable, he noted.
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he → exist → grinding
Hard sweets can force people to crunch down, which may crack or split a tooth, especially one that has already been restored, Lazare said.
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Lazare → force → tooth
"Anything where you have to force a crunch is not good," he said.
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he → have → crunch
Super-sticky candies and caramels can cling to teeth and pull out fillings or crowns.
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candies → cling → fillings
Chewy sweets can get stuck between teeth, prolonging sugar exposure and what Lazare called an "acid attack."
Sour candy can also expose enamel to acid, he warned.
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he → stick → acid
He recommended avoiding snacking throughout the day to help limit acid exposure.
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He → recommend → exposure
Candy isn't the only Halloween treat that can haunt your teeth, Lazare noted.
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Lazare → haunt → teeth
While raisins are often seen as a healthier alternative for trick-or-treaters, they can stick to teeth and also contribute to prolonged acid exposure.
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they → see → exposure
"Raisins are probably one of the worst things you can have for your teeth," he said.
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he → have → teeth
Lazare said his treat recommendation would be chocolate, which melts and dissolves quickly.
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which → say → ?
Dark chocolate is best, he said, because it tends to be lower in sugar than other candy, but beware of fillings like raisins and toffee in that chocolate.
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it → say → chocolate
If you do indulge in some Halloween candy, Lazare said, some easy tips can help mitigate the damage.
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tips → indulge → damage
Rinse with water and wait about an hour before brushing because acid can temporarily soften tooth enamel and brushing immediately may increase wear.
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brushing → rinse → wear
Sugar-free gum can also help clear food from teeth and get saliva flowing, Lazare said.
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Lazare → help → teeth
If a crown or other restoration comes out, "don't panic," he said.
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he → come → ?
"Stop chewing on that side, save any crown or restoration that comes off, and contact your dentist promptly.
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that → stop → dentist
Never try to reattach it with household glue."
Anyone experiencing severe pain, swelling or significant bleeding should "seek urgent dental care," he said.
Some restorations may be reusable, depending on their condition.
The main goal, Lazare said, is prevention, a central tenet of his biomimetic approach, which focuses on preserving natural tooth structure for the long term.
"We want to prevent damage rather than have to repair it," he said.
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he → try → it
The Aporia
