Traditionally Halloween is a battle between a kid’s desire for candy, and a parent’s desire for their child’s teeth to not fall out. However, according to dentists, there is a way to have a truce between the two sides. Shawna Weber, dental hygienist at Heather Heddens DDS in Washington, recommends moderation, but also has tips on how to space out candy consumption. She says it’s better to have several pieces of candy in one sitting, then wait a couple days until going back to it, as opposed to having one piece of candy every day until it’s gone. While she doesn’t recommend eating large handfuls at one time, spacing out consumption can reduce contact time for your teeth and reduce the risk of cavities.

Weber says certain types of candy are worse for your teeth than others. For example, Milk Duds and gummy bears stick to the biting surfaces of teeth, and lemon drops have a large amount of acidity that can be bad for your mouth. With those types of candy in particular, moderation is important. Additionally, Weber says kids should not brush their teeth immediately after eating candy, which is something that could come as a surprise to most parents. She says when you brush your teeth after eating something like a lemon drop, you’re brushing the harmful acid of the candy all over your teeth. Instead, she recommends kids should drink a glass of water or have a piece of sugar free gum after eating candy, which helps return the pH in your mouth back to normal. For more information about eating candy in a manner that will make your dentist happy, listen to the In Touch with Southeast Iowa interview with Weber at KCIIRadio.com starting Monday.