Q. When should I chew candy?

Answer

When you consume sugar-containing meals, your mouth's bacteria use the sugary substrate as food and create acid as a byproduct. This acid is the culprit behind the decay that occurs in your teeth. After the sugary substance has been completely consumed, the bacteria will continue to produce acid for another 20 to 30 minutes. This phenomenon is known as an acid attack, and while it lasts, the teeth are exposed to conditions that put them at risk of experiencing tooth decay. It's possible that they won't rot away, but the conditions are there for it to happen. Therefore, the regularity with which one consumes sweet items is a significant factor to consider. If another sweet food is eaten, say, ten or fifteen minutes later, there will be another attack of acid, and then there will be another, and then there will be another, and so on. In this scenario, the several acid assaults will combine into a single severe attack, and the teeth will almost likely rot away. Therefore, gently swallowing the candies results in a greater amount of sugar being absorbed into the bloodstream over a longer period of time. The duration of the acid assault would be equal to the amount of time the sugary substance was present in your mouth, plus an additional 20 to 30 minutes. Compared to someone who crushes up their candy and gets rid of it quickly, the person who ekes out their sweets and swallows them for a long period is probably doing more harm. If you are going to consume anything sweet and sugary, you should attempt to chew on it as rapidly as you can, but you should also be cautious not to break your teeth, and you should try to clean your teeth as soon as possible after eating.