Chocolates have long been blamed as the cause of cavities. Incidentally, chocolates are a part of a larger group of eatables – chocolates, chewing gum and sugar candy – which are together called ‘candy’.

Candy has been defined as ‘casual desert’. And casual food is called a ‘snack’. Therefore, casual deserts are also snacks.

Snacking on candy (chocolates, chewing gum and sugar candy) is what has led to the newer generation of children getting cavities as commonly as one catches a cold.

But parents are faced with a daunting challenge, because everyone knows that candy is here to stay. It is important to know that the longer the sugar from the candy is in contact with the tooth, the faster cavities are formed.

So, let’s quantify how good or bad different candies are for a child’s oral health. The way to do that is to know how sticky the candy is.

So, we’ll use 3 parameters:

• Stickability = how long  the candy sticks to the tooth if no rinsing or brushing is done
• Washability = how easily it gets washed out on rinsing
• Brushability = how easily it comes out when brushed

☹️= stickiest 🙁= stickier 😕= sticky 😑 = partially unstuck  😄= completely unstuck

Mummas and Papas to share this with your children please check The Sticky Candy cheat sheet. Take a print out and stick it up on your fridge!

Download Cheat Sheet

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