It's a scary time for teeth.

You might think Halloween candy is the biggest threat to your teeth this time of year, but Pharr dentist Dr. Monica Cordova says cough drops and cough syrup are a bigger risk — especially during the cold and flu season.

Cordova says the sugars in cough drops and cough syrups coat your teeth.

“Whenever the bacteria have that sugar, then they release an acid — and then it's the acid that causes the cavity,” Cordova warned. “You want to buy sugar-free cough drops."

If a little sweetness is the only option, Cordova advised the public to brush their teeth after taking a cough drop.

“That way the sugar is removed from the tooth,” Cordova said. “If they've already brushed their teeth and you just by chance give them the medication, make sure to give them water, so they can rinse their mouths."

Cordova also says using cough drops over a long period of time is worse than having two or three in one day.

“If you're constantly having to pop in a cough drop and constantly eating the cough drop with sugar, that's when the cavities occur,” Cordova said.

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