The Best and Worst Candy for Teeth

Halloween candies divided into five distinct types and rated, on a scale from 1-10 (1 being good for your teeth, 10 being the absolute worst cavity-causers)
Taffy and hard candy are the two worst offenders. Use this Halloween guide to safeguarding your children's teeth, as always, be wary of excess consumption of any trickery treat.

Taffy
Fear Factor Score: 9 out of 10
Traditionally, dentists have always known that the longer a food sticks to the teeth the longer bacteria has to feed on it to produce cavity-causing acid.One of the best ways to avoid cavities during Halloween is to avoid the sticky candy that can plaster your teeth and wedge itself into the nooks and crannies of your mouth.

Hard Candy
Fear Factor Score: 8.5 out of 10
Although hard candies like Jaw Breakers and Everlasting Gobstoppers don't have that stick factor, they hurt your mouth from the amount of time they take to dissolve,The longer food sits in your mouth, the more acidic the environment becomes.

"People naturally assume that if they can't feel the candy sticking to their mouths, they are okay, but that isn't true. If you leave a hard candy in your mouth for a lengthy period of time, this can be even worse than a sticky candy."

Peanut Butter Cups
Fear Factor Score: 6.5 out of 10
Safer than candies like taffy, the ever-present peanut butter cup is still a hazard to your mouth. Studies have indicated that chocolate is especially good at creating acid buildup in your mouth and the stickiness of peanut butter doesn't help.

Candy-Covered Chocolate
Fear Factor Score: 6 out of 10
Most people assume that when chocolate lacks the sticky peanut butter, it has to be better for their teeth. Again, while it lacks that attribute, it suffers from the time factor. Candy-covered chocolate is typically consumed in a bag where the consumer is continually chewing on the candy. While a peanut butter cup is typically consumed in one or two bites, a bag of M&M’s can last for minutes. This extra time gives the bacteria plenty of time to generate cavity causing acid.

Sugar Sticks
Fear Factor Score: 5 out of 10
Most parents automatically toss out their kids' Pixie Stix with the assumption that a little bag of sugar must be awful for teeth. Contrary to popular belief, these little sacks of sugar are some of the safest Halloween treats out there.

Pixie Stix are typically poured directly onto the tongue, avoiding chewing and your teeth altogether. They are then quickly consumed and out of the mouth before any major damage can been done. So while it may not make sense, those sacks of sugar may be the best candy for your teeth.

Read this entire article Chicago Tribune