Sour Candy Equals Battery Acid?

On 10.09.08, In News, by

I know, I know. To some of you, I’m playing the part of the scrooge, only a few months early this year. I can assure you that I don’t advocate abolishing Halloween, or even abolishing handing out candy on Halloween. Let’s be serious, I’m not an absolutist. But, I do think it’s wise for us to take an extra 10 seconds to think about the types of candy we’re placing in our shopping carts when stocking up for the Trick-Or-Treaters.

No Sour Candy

No sour candy. That’s the major rule I’d try to follow this Halloween. There are plenty of other candy choices, and most kids like the non-sour stuff as well. I’m talking about getting rid of the “tear jerkers”, and the sour gummy worm-type stuff. You know, the stuff that makes you pucker when you eat it. I freely admit that I used to love this stuff as a kid. But, I know better now – especially after reading a recent article found in “Market Watch“. The article likened the ph of sour candy to that of battery acid! Yeah, battery acid. If that’s not frightening, then I don’t know what is.

Why sour candy is bad for your teeth

Ok, so I’ve told you why It’s not good to hand out sour candy on Halloween, but how exactly does it effect teeth. Erika Feltham, a Registered Dental Hygienist, says:

It is not at all surprising that this candy is a contributing factor to acid erosion. With repeated exposure and frequency, sour candy can also lead to a host of oral health problems, including increased cavities, tooth sensitivity, staining, soft-tissue sensitivities and loss of shine.

Halloween candy tips

The following are additional tips for dealing with sour candy on Halloween, contributed by the California Dental Hygienists’ Association (CDHA).

  • Look for the following acids on the back label of ingredients and avoid them: citric, lactic, malic, tartaric, fumaric, adipic, ascorbic
  • If you choose to consume sour candies, rinse your mouth with water immediately afterwards to reduce the damaging effects from the acids

Your thoughts

Think I’m overreacting. Should we let kid be kids? Let me know.


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Cory Kemp

Hi, I'm Cory - the guy behind Dental Heroes. I'm not a dentist, but I do love everything dental care(call me crazy). I strive to provide oral health information and news in a way that lay people, such as myself can understand.

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  • http://www.dentalteam.org.uk Dentist

    Hi Just my input in sweets issue. I let my children eat as much sweets, (even those sour worms – hey they are delicious !) as much as they can fit in their stomaches but only once in a week. So on Saturday they have all of the chocolates, candies and gellies we bought them on Friday or gathered from relatives on the table instead of morning breakfast. They eat them, and feel so happy until they almost feel like they have to vomit ….. well I don’t care…. When the feast is finished my daughters go to brush their teeth. I haven’t seen a single tooth infected with carries so far (one daughter is 8 the other 2 years old) so I think I do the right thing. The hardest challange in this techinque is to not let sweets throughout the rest of the week and to warn grandma that she will not see her grandchildren till the end of the year if she breaks the rule.

    • http://www.dentalheroes.com drdental

      Oh, I agree. Sour worms are fantastic! I think allowing your children access to them in moderation is a great idea. You’ve found a solution that works for your family, and I’d certainly stick with it.

      The one thing that you mentioned about your routine that some dentists would frown upon is allowing your daughter to brush her teeth immediately after consuming the sour candies. Instead, dentists recommend rinsing the mouth with water prior to brushing in order to reduce the reaction produced by sugars and toothpaste.

  • http://www.teethremoval.com wisdom

    Sour candy is the best. Although other candies are also good. I like sour patch kids a lot. Swedish fish is a good non sour alternative though.

    • http://www.dentalheroes.com drdental

      This is true. Sour candy is great tasting. From a dental perspective, as you know, it’s not great. Thanks for suggesting Swedish Fish as an alternative. I had forgotten about those. Yum.

  • http://www.royalyorkdental.com Toronto Dentist in Etobicoke

    Acid Erosion can be a huge problem. It’s those daily habits that are killer – overwhelming teeth’s capacity to recover and remineralize.

    Lemons, limes, cola drinks, lemon-aid, sports drinks, white wine, herbal teas and those sour candies!

  • Daniel

    Anything that tastes good to me is bad for me. :c

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