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Key Takeaways:
Halloween sparks nationwide dental demand, but Easter is even worse. "Dentist near me" searches rose by 70,900 after Halloween, yet Easter outpaced it with a 117,400 increase, proving the pastel holiday is the real cavity culprit.
Candy hangovers hit hardest in California, Florida, and the South. The South led post-Halloween spikes (Florida +111K, Georgia +36K), while California (+45K) saw the steepest Easter jump.
Reese's leads the "Dental Demand Index." Across all three holidays, Reese's ranked as the No. 1 candy most associated with post-holiday dental search spikes, followed by Skittles, Sour Patch Kids, Snickers, and M&M's.
Valentine's candy is sweet but not scary. Searches actually fell after Valentine's, suggesting chocolate feels safe, even when it's not.
Water is your secret weapon against candy damage. Dentists say simply drinking and rinsing with water after indulging helps neutralize sugar and acid, making it one of the easiest and most overlooked ways to prevent post-candy cavities.
Holiday Candy and Cavity Consequences
Not all candy-filled holidays are created equal when it comes to dental trouble. Some lead to massive spikes in dentist searches, while others barely make a blip.
Easter took the crown for the worst post-candy dental spike in the U.S. Searches for "dentist near me" jumped by more than 117,000 in April compared to March, outpacing the Halloween surge by nearly 47,000. That's a lot of jellybeans turned into toothaches.
Halloween still packed a punch, driving a nationwide increase of 70,900 searches from October to November. But Valentine's Day? Surprisingly gentle. After February's chocolate binge, dental searches actually dropped by 23,500 in March. It seems people don't view Valentine's sweets as a serious dental threat, whether or not that's true.
When it comes to candy culprits, Reese's ranked No. 1 across all three holidays. Skittles and Sour Patch Kids followed close behind. Dentists aren't surprised. These treats hit the trifecta of sugar, stickiness, and acidity.
Where Toothaches Hit Hardest
Candy may be universal, but its dental aftermath isn't. From California to Florida, some states and cities saw huge jumps in dentist searches after holiday sweets, while others barely flinched.
After Easter, California saw the biggest jump in dental-related searches, with 45,000 more people looking for a dentist compared to the previous month. Illinois followed with an increase of 16,500, and North Carolina added 13,500 more searches. Missouri and South Carolina each saw gains of 6,000.
Halloween, however, hit the South especially hard. Florida alone accounted for +111,000 searches in November, by far the largest state-level spike. Georgia added another, showing just how much the region's love for trick-or-treating can come back to bite.
Valentine's Day, on the other hand, barely made a ripple. Nevada and Kansas saw the biggest increases, at 4,100 and 2,200, respectively. Most of the country actually saw flat or falling search volumes in March.
Looking at regions overall, the South had the strongest response to Halloween and still saw high demand after Easter. The Midwest showed a mix of patterns, with solid increases across both holidays. The West had the biggest Easter bump, thanks to California. The Northeast remained the calmest, with little to no change across all three holidays.
At the city level, Dallas led the country in post-Easter dental demand, with 6,000 extra searches in just one week. Halloween hit Florida cities hard, especially Jacksonville, with 14,100 more searches, Tampa, with 6,700, and Miami, with 4,000. Los Angeles, Atlanta, and Las Vegas saw small upticks after Valentine's Day, but nothing close to the Easter or Halloween spikes.
What Dentists Want You To Know
Sugary holidays don't have to lead to cavities. Dental pros shared simple tips anyone can follow to keep their teeth safe after indulging in seasonal sweets.
On sugar-heavy days like Halloween and Easter, many dentists recommend brushing a third time to avoid plaque buildup. Skipping that extra brushing session can turn a fun holiday into a costly trip to the dentist.
Water was another top tip. Nearly every expert we spoke with said rinsing or drinking water after eating candy helps prevent decay. Water clears away sugar and acid before they can stick to your enamel. It may be the easiest and most affordable way to protect your teeth during candy season.
Methodology
To quantify how strongly each candy correlates with post-holiday "dentist near me" spikes in Google searches, we analyzed search volume across national, state, and city levels using the following parameters:
Terms: "Dentist near me" and 5 major candy brands (Reese's, M&M's, Snickers, Skittles, and Sour Patch Kids)
Timeframes: Weekly data from Halloween, Valentine's Day, and Easter in 2024 (plus the prior month for comparison)
Geographies: U.S. nationwide, all 50 states plus Washington, D.C., and select metro areas
We also collected expert insights from 20 dental professionals on the relationship between holidays, patient behavior, and oral health.
About Clarify Capital
Clarify Capital helps small business owners get access to fast business loans and funding solutions without the hassle of paperwork. Whether you're recovering from seasonal slowdowns or planning your next big investment, we make it easy to secure no-doc business loans tailored to your goals. We believe smart financing should be as stress-free as your next dental visit should be.
Fair Use Statement
If you'd like to share this sweet study on dental anxiety and candy trends, you're welcome to use the findings for noncommercial purposes. Just be sure to include a link back to Clarify Capital for proper attribution.
Emma Parker
Senior Funding Manager
Emma holds a B.S. in finance from NYU and has been working in the business financing industry for over a decade. She is passionate about helping small business owners grow by finding the right funding option that makes sense for them. More about the Clarify team →
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