Trick or Trade For Treats? Great Candy Option!

Trick or Trade For Treats?
Great Candy Option!
By Dr. Kao Pediatric Dentistry

Well it is Halloween & Harvest time again! All of your little costume laden lads and lassies will be out gathering up delicious treats from neighbors and at parties. Although when your door gets that knock, you have control over the type of sweet treats you hand out and there are lots of candy options. But what about the houses your kids visit? It’s wonderful to see your children’s smiles when they walk out the door visiting neighbors. But what about their smiles days after they have eaten all the wonderful candy treats?

Here’s an idea. When they arrive home and eagerly empty their bags of goodies, do a trade for treats! Have some candy alternatives that are sugar free. Allow them to keep some and give some in trade. If you need a candy suggestion for the bargaining, one of the best sugar substitutes is Xylitol.

Basically, Xylitol is a particular type of sugar alternative. It is actually a sugar itself in that it is found in many fibers from fruits and vegetables including corn husks, berries, oats and even mushrooms. Xylitol is specifically a sugar alcohol and although it has a lower caloric content and used in several candy products as a sweetener. While Xylitol has 9.6 calories to 15 for sucrose, in a teaspoonful, Xylitol does not have the impact on blood sugar as sucrose which makes it safer for diabetics. Also, in dental care Xylitol is often used in toothpastes because it has cavity fighting power and the ability to reduce dental plaque. In fact it has several health benefits for humans but not for dogs. So, remember to keep this type of candy away from your pet.

Although Xylitol candy is usually found in the diabetic area of your grocer, your local wellness store like a Walgreens or CVS, or you can also find them on line. They have chocolates, mints, gum, hard candies, and other great tastes for all of your trick-or-treaters. Here is a site you can try: http://diabeticfriendly.com/xylitol-candy-sugarless-sugarfree.html

As always we want your children to have a wonderfully spooky but sweet Halloween. So, remember that after the candy has been consumed, the little ones must brush. As an added follow up, make sure to keep their dental checkups. For more information or to schedule your next visit, contact Dr. Kao’s Pediatric Dentistry at (650) 755-0277. Together we want your child to enjoy a happy Halloween and Harvest night of sweet fun and always enjoy smiling.