For as long as I can remember (FWIW, I recall the 1960s), Halloween has been synonymous with costumes, trick-or-treating, and excessive Halloween candy consumption. The deleterious (there’s a nice big word – eh?) effects of said consumption include upset stomachs, massive fluctuations in blood sugar levels with the attendant behavioral changes, and, of course, tooth decay. The sugar in the candy provides an excellent food source for bacteria in the mouth. Increased bacterial activity produces acids that break down the hard structures of the teeth, such as their enamel. When the breakdown happens faster than the repair, you get tooth decay.
The Solution
Besides eating less candy, brushing your teeth helps clear away the sugars and bacteria and replaces the lost minerals. The primary method for remineralization is through the use of fluoride. Fluoride can be provided in various forms. One of the most common is in toothpaste, which makes twice-daily brushing even more effective. Fluoride is also available from our diet. Fruits, vegetables, chicken, and many canned goods are good sources of fluoride. Dietary supplements can also be used to ensure adequate fluoride. Dental visits often include fluoride treatments for children.
How it Works
Ingested fluoride enters the bloodstream and gets deposited in teeth, where it helps rebuild the damage. Salivary glands secrete it into the mouth, where it inhibits the bacterial conversion of sugars into acids. This slows the breakdown of the tooth surfaces. It also helps those surfaces retain the calcium and phosphate, which give them their hardness. For a more information about fluoride and children’s dental health visit American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry site.
Is Fluoride Safe?
The only scientifically supported downside to fluoride is fluorosis. Prolonged exposure to excess levels of fluoride creates stains, streaks, or rough pitting on the enamel. That said, many conspiracy theories about the ill effects of fluoride exist. In no particular order, they include alleged links to AIDS, allergies, Alzheimer’s, cancer, lower intelligence, and numerous others. As early as the 1950s, fluoridation was portrayed as part of a communist plot, a cover-up for nuclear fallout issues. Another theory posits that it is a ploy by candy companies to increase sales. I suppose any or all of them are possible but call me a skeptic.
Today’s Map (courtesy of ThePioneerWoman.com)
That brings us to today’s map, which features the most popular Halloween candy in each state.
As always, thanks for reading.
Armen
Note to pay the bills
Halloween features prominently in Penny Preston and the Raven’s Talisman, book #1 in the Misaligned series. If you’re interested in a PG-rated story that seeks to answer the question, ‘What happens at the intersection of String Theory & Arthurian Myth’, check out a summary of the series here or find links to purchase books here.
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PS While the map is new, much of the text comes from a previous (October 2015) post on fluoride.