Beware the Halloween candies that can crack your teeth — or do much worse: dentist
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that → beware → teeth
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
Don’t have candy,'” he told Fox News Digital.
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he → have → Digital
“I love Halloween.”
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I → love → Halloween
It’s all about moderation, he said.
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he → ’ → 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.”
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Lazare → prolong → what
Sour candy can also expose enamel to acid, he warned.
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he → expose → 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.
“Raisins are probably one of the worst things you can have for your teeth,” he said.
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he → see → 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
Anyone experiencing severe pain, swelling, or significant bleeding should “seek urgent dental care,” he said.
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he → experience → care
Some restorations may be reusable, depending on their condition.
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restorations → depend → 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.
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which → say → term
“We want to prevent damage rather than have to repair it,” he said.
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he → want → it
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