Kids and tooth decay just don’t go together well. Kids love to have fun and tooth decay is like a giant lock on the door to all things fun and yummy. So as the mama to a child with tooth decay, I have had to find healthy candy that allows her to still have yummy fun without worsening her oral health.
If you have a child with tooth decay, you are probably very familiar with the emotional tug-of-war on your heart every time your little one sees other kids eating candy and asks if she can have some too.
If you say yes, you worry incessantly about how it will negatively impact her struggling teeth and the consequences she will have to deal with. If you say no, you worry about the psychological effects of constantly denying her something all the other kids get to have. Either way, you feel guilty and fear that you are damaging your child in some way.
I’ve been there, Mama. About a million times. I absolutely hate that I always have to be the one to say no to something fun and yummy. But the times I do say yes, I worry that I will start to see new decay forming on her teeth as a result.
Read about how our childhood tooth decay journey began here.
Of course, giving in once in a while to letting your kid have some candy probably won’t have a detrimental effect on her teeth. But when you consider that there are other foods besides candy that feed your kid’s decay that she is likely eating with much greater frequency (like all carbs and natural sugars), the idea of adding candy to the bacteria’s snack menu is unsettling.
To help ease this burden somewhat for myself, I try to keep healthy candy on hand to offer my daughter when I don’t want her having whatever sugary treats the other kids are having. But in order for her to feel like she’s not missing out, that healthy candy has to pass the taste bud test.
I want to help ease your burden too, Mama. You already carry enough guilt around about your child’s tooth decay. Feeling guilty about denying her something yummy shouldn’t have to be a constant feeling too.
Find out what to do when the dentist recommends kids dental crowns in this post.
So here’s a list of kid-approved, healthy candies that do not contain sugar. Now you will have something yummy to offer your child as a guilt-free alternative at the next sugar-filled kid gathering!
Please note that I am not a dental or medical professional and nothing in this post should be considered to be dental or medical advice.
Healthy Candy That Won’t Cause (or Worsen) Cavities
We started buying these lollipops for my daughter soon after we started going to our current church. Every time we dropped her off in her preschool class, the teachers would give her a lollipop. In case you didn’t know, sucking on a ball of sugar is one of the worst things for mouths that already have a bacterial imbalance that is causing tooth decay.
When we decided it was not in the best interest of our daughter’s teeth (or her gut which also has a bacterial balance issue) to be eating sugary lollipops every Sunday, my husband suggested I search for lollipops made with xylitol. And when I did, these are what I found. This was the beginning of my exploration into healthy candy for my daughter.
Xylitol, by the way, is a a sugar alcohol. It does not have the negative effects of sugar and has actually been gaining popularity in the dental industry as an effective anti-cavity agent for teeth.
Ah, gummies. What kid doesn’t love gummies?
Unfortunately, gummies are terrible for tooth health. They are basically sugar glue. So what is a kid with tooth decay to do?
Thankfully, there is a healthier option.
These sour gummy worms taste like the real thing – and they won’t cause cavities! Instead of sugar, they are sweetened with erythritol and stevia.
These gummies are not cheap, but I was fortunate enough to find some discounted at Ollie’s Bargain Outlet to initially try them out. Still not cheap, but I don’t expect healthy candy for my daughter to be cheap.
Okay, I have to put a disclaimer on this one. My daughter does not actually like these. But she has never had real laffy taffy before, so it’s entirely possible that she just doesn’t like taffy because she is pretty picky, even with candy.
But my husband and I have both tried these and think they taste like the real deal. So if your kid does like taffy, this healthy candy option is a great replacement. It is, once again, made with xylitol, so it is actually beneficial to your child’s teeth.
My daughter loves this white chocolate. It is sweetened with stevia and it tastes like regular white chocolate to me. My mom and I melted these down to make shaped healthy candy for my daughter. You can use silicone molds or cookie cutters to make fun shaped healthy candy bars for your child.
These chocolate chips are seriously just … chocolate chips. They taste exactly like “normal” chocolate chips but without the sugar. You can use them to bake with or just give them to your kid for dessert like candy. You could also melt these down to make fun shapes the same as the white chocolate.
I put these in my daughter’s Easter eggs this year. She was so excited to get chocolate chips! And she had no idea they were sugar-free.
A Couple of Things About Xylitol
So Mama, now you have some guilt-free, healthy candy options that won’t worsen your child’s tooth decay. In fact, some of these candies (the ones containing xylitol) may actually help to improve his teeth!
Find out my 3 simplest, natural treatments for childhood tooth decay in this post.
For more info on how xylitol prevents cavities, take a look at this paper. It reviews various studies that have been done showing how xylitol affects bacteria in the mouth.
One thing you should note about xylitol is that it can cause digestive discomfort and diarrhea when used in large quantities. My daughter is pretty used to xylitol, so it doesn’t bother her in the amounts of these candies. But if I bake something for her with xylitol and she eats several helpings in a day, she has some minor issues.
However, I know that for some people who are not used to consuming sugar alcohols, digestive issues can arise from much smaller quantities. If your child is not used to consuming sugar alcohols, I would recommend starting with small servings of these candies to see how she does.
Get my free list of low sugar, low carb snack ideas here!
It is also important to note that xylitol is poisonous to dogs, so be sure not to let your pooch get ahold of one of those lollipops.
In the end, like everything else, xylitol is all about balance. It’s really good for teeth, but too much might not feel so great to the belly. Eating it in moderation is the key.
Having these healthy candy options is a huge relief when you have a child with tooth decay. Have you tried any of these candies with your child? Let me know in the comments how you give your child treats without worsening his tooth decay.
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Need more support as you figure out this childhood tooth decay thing? Join my Facebook support group for parents of young children with tooth decay!
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