The Worst Valentine’s Day Candies for Smiles

With February 14th so close, you’re likely thinking of getting sweets for your sweetie. What better way to celebrate Valentine’s Day than with treats your partner loves? That said, you’ll need to be careful; this holiday’s most popular candies tend to be bad for oral health. You’d do well to adjust your choices and make sure your final picks are fairly “smile-friendly.” For further details, here’s a primer on the worst Valentine’s Day candies for smiles (and what sweets to get instead).

Valentine Candies That Risk Your Smile

If you do get candies for your lover, try to avoid the ones that harm smiles the most. These include the following:

Hard Candy

Lollipops and candy hearts are part and parcel of Valentine’s Day, but they’re orally risky regardless. Such hard candies can chip and crack teeth when bitten too hard, causing dental emergencies. Plus, they often linger in your mouth and bathe your smile in sugar and acids; they can thus cause severe cases of tooth decay.

Sour Treats

While sour treats can make your partner “pucker up” for kisses, they also put grins at risk. Most tend to have high levels of acidity that can greatly erode your enamel. At the same time, saliva often struggles to handle their stickiness; that means they give sugar and acid more time to hurt your smile.

Taffy & Caramel

If you give your lover taffy or caramel, don’t expect their smiles to remain safe. Sticky candy is notorious for clinging to enamel, being very hard to get out of one’s mouth. It’s thus more likely to prompt dental damage that needs proper repairs.

Consider Some “Smile-Friendly” Alternatives

Rather than the types above, look into getting (relatively) “smile-friendly” candy for Valentine’s Day. Some great examples include:

• Dark Chocolate – Compared to the milk-based kind, dark chocolate has more heart-healthy antioxidants and less sugar. It won’t do much harm to your partner’s smile.
• Sugar-Free Gum – If your sweetie likes chewy candy, gift them some sugar-free gum. It’s very unlikely to cause cavities, and it promotes saliva production that cleans one’s teeth.
• Natural Fruits – Besides being romantic, fruits like strawberries and raspberries don’t hurt the eater’s grin. On the contrary, their vitamins, minerals, and water levels promote good oral health.

The worst Valentine’s Day candies for smiles won’t honor your partner’s grin. So, make sure to pick treats carefully on the 14^th!

About the Practice

Advanced Dental Care of Springfield is based in Springfield, IL. Led by Dr. John Neely, our practice does its utmost to give every patient a strong and beautiful smile. We thus offer preventive, cosmetic, and even restorative services, as well as emergency and sedation options. Whatever ails your teeth or gums, rest assured – our team will get it addressed! For more details or to book a visit, please contact us on our website or by phone at (217)-546-3333.