Candy-Coated Teeth No Halloween Horror

Halloween can be a real horror for parents concerned about their children's teeth, but experts say some tried-and-true tips can scare away tooth decay nightmares any time of year.

It might surprise you, but according to the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, parents shouldn't be that worried about holiday sweets in the first place.

Halloween comes once a year, giving children a rare opportunity to gorge on a cornucopia of candy they wouldn't normally eat. Occasional snacking like this isn't enough to harm teeth, according to the academy.

In fact, the AAPD maintains that candy is no more likely to cause cavities than most other foods.

What's more important, according to pediatric dentists in the organization, is how frequently a child eats.

After every meal, bacteria create potentially harmful acid that remains in the mouth for 20 minutes. Children who snack frequently, whether on candy or healthful offerings, are at the greatest risk for cavities, according to the academy.

Sizing Up The Sugar

Although it might not have a huge impact on tooth decay, comparing the average amount of sugar in candy against other foods can be startling.

For instance, if a child eats the 12 average treats, it's equal to eating 30 packets of sugar or guzzling 1 liter of soda.

But there's a way to avoid a sugar overload this Halloween, and New York nutritionist Joy Bauer has some pointers on keeping the sugar level down:

Serve well-balanced meals before kids collect their candy.
Avoid all unnecessary sugar that day.
Place a "5 treat" limit on your child's candy consumption.

To keep teeth from suffering on Halloween, the AAPD recommends:

• Let children choose one or two pieces of candy after lunch and dinner, since an acid attack is already under way due to the meal.
• Mix in healthy snacks along with Halloween candy, like cheese, vegetables, yogurt and chocolate milk.
• Make sure children brush at least twice a day: once in the morning and once before bed.

Here's a look at some of the favorite treats and how their sugar content measures up:

Approximately 2 teaspoons of sugar in each:

Goobers
Twix
Almond Joy

Approximately 2.5 teaspoons of sugar in each:

Snickers
Reese's peanut butter cup
Raisenettes
Kit Kat
Nestles Butterfinger
Tropical Dots

Approximately 2.75 teaspoons of sugar in each:

3 Musketeers
100 Grand

Approximately 3 teaspoons of sugar in each:

Milky Way
O'Henry
Junior Mints