Try to avoid sour candies
Sour candies are popular because they are colorful, fun, and flavorful, but they are very acidic. Some sour candies can be almost as acidic as battery acid, yikes! Acid in the mouth is what ultimately causes teeth to get cavities by dissolving the enamel, but it can also burn the gums and cheeks. Dissolving the enamel on the teeth causes irreversible damage.
Acid is measured using a pH scale and ranges from 1.0 - 14.0 with 7.0 being neutral. Each 1.0 unit of difference represents a 10x increase in the concentration of acid. For example, a pH of 1.0 is 100 times more acidic than a pH of 3.0.
Limit the time sugar is in contact with teeth
Sugar feeds the bacteria that is naturally in your child's mouth. The longer you feed the bacteria, the more cavity causing acid they will produce. Therefore candies that last a long time like suckers and mints are more likely to cause cavities. It also takes about 20 minutes for the mouth to return to a more neutral pH after an acid attack. Repeatedly snacking over a long period of time can lead to lots of exposure to the cavity causing acid.
Avoid sticky candies
Sticky candies like gummies and caramels, can get stuck in your child's teeth. These stuck candies will feed the cavity causing bacteria and remain stuck to the teeth for long periods of time.
Thank you to @Dentinaltube on Instagram for these tips.