I got fed the line and so did you when you were a child. “Candy will cause cavities.” Well maybe it is still a good line. I do believe candy is a very grave health concern in our society, but those concerns lie more with the body health and the blood sugar balancing system (insulin) rather than the tooth health of each of us.
The threat to teeth is the frequency of exposure and one of your worst enemies is carbohydrate paste stuck between the teeth from meals and snacks (what I call cracker mouth). If it were just the carbohydrate there would be less worry. That paste, however, absorbs sugar from any source, including good fresh fruit and holds it between the teeth….for hours. The bacteria between the teeth are having a hay day with all that sugar just hanging around. And since we are a grain based eating society, this problem exists for everyone!
Now consider this. If a person disrupts the bacteria from between the teeth once a day (every 24 hours) they never have a chance to accumulate to a level that will damage the teeth. I would much rather get the flossing done daily and focus on having healthy meals than struggling with the candy battle. As the kids get older I will have less and less control of their eating. A well-ingrained habit of flossing every day may do more in the long run to help them have healthy teeth.
Eating like a cave-man would protect my teeth, but I would rather floss.