Don’t Scare Your Dentist This Halloween Tips for a Healthy Smile!
Halloween is quickly approaching! This means kids are getting ready to dress up as their favorite character, have fun with family and friends, and receive oodles of treats!
Halloween is a time when kids and adults alike are exposed to sticky, sugary candies that can present a hazard for teeth and gums. However, there are a few things you can do to ensure both you and your children keep a healthy smile this Halloween and decrease risk for tooth decay.
Here are some tips to keep your teeth and gums healthy while still enjoying the treats that Halloween has to offer!
Avoid Sticky Candy
Although nearly all candy contains sugar, some candies are worse for your teeth than others. These include candies that are very sticky this is because they stick to your teeth and take longer to go away.
The amount of sugar your mouth is exposed to matters, but so does the amount of time that the sugar lingers on your teeth. This is why it’s generally a good idea to rinse your mouth with water, if possible, after eating sugar or drinking a sugary beverage.
However, with sticky candies, they can be difficult to remove from your teeth, therefore increasing your chances of tooth decay. The worst sticky candies to eat on Halloween include:
- Caramels
- Tootsie Rolls
- Jujubes
- Gummy worms or gummy bears
- Lollipops
- Taffy
If you can, avoid these sticky candies as much as possible. It’s a good idea to have your family pick out which candies they like the best, then get rid of the rest!
The best candies to eat (although no candy is generally preferable, just not realistic) include dark chocolate, candy bars (especially those with nuts as they can help decrease stickiness), and candy flavored with sugar-free alternatives.
Don’t Snack on Candy During the Day
After Halloween, your house will likely be full of candy (whether you have children or just didn’t get as many trick-or-treaters as you expected). It’s certainly tempting to snack on candy throughout the day rather than choosing a healthy alternative, such as an apple.
However, snacking on candy during the day is damaging to your teeth for two reasons:
- Eating candy between meals increases your chances for cavities. This is because your saliva levels aren’t as high since you aren’t consuming a normal meal; therefore, the sugar has free run of your mouth, especially if you aren’t drinking enough water and your mouth is dry.
- Snacking on candy over a period of time prolongs the exposure your teeth have to sugar, therefore allowing bad bacteria more time to cause enamel erosion and tooth decay .
Keep the candy out of sight in order to prompt both you and your children to make healthier snack choices during the day. It can also help to keep candy out of reach for children, and for you as well when you need a stepladder to access those sweets, they look a little less desirable.
There are also optimal times to eat candy with your meals or just after meals!
Eat with Meals or Shortly After
Set some restrictions on candy consumption on Halloween and after this candy-filled holiday. Make it a rule that candy is only to be eaten with a healthy snack, or even after your evening meal.
Why does this help from a dental health perspective?
Eating candy with your meals or just after meals can help because your saliva production is increased. Saliva is important to your smile it acts as a buffer between bad bacteria and your teeth. The more saliva present in your mouth, the less chance you have for cavities.
So instead of eating candy by itself, enjoy it with a snack or just after dinner to reduce the damage to your teeth. Make it a rule in your household and feel better about enjoying candy this Halloween!
Drink More Water
Another practice you and your children can do to help keep saliva production up is to drink more water. Many people don’t drink as much water as they should, but staying hydrated is just as important for your smile as it is for the rest of your body!
Drinking more water this Halloween can help prevent damage to your teeth and reduce the effects of excess sugar consumption. Most tap water also contains fluoride, which can help strengthen tooth enamel and decrease your risk for cavities as well.
When eating candy this Halloween, always be sure to have some water nearby. Drinks to avoid include soda and juice they expose your kid’s teeth to even more sugar and can make the effects of candy consumption worse!
Take Care of Your Teeth
Taking care of your teeth all year is essential to stop cavities and help kids be proud of their healthy adult teeth! What can you do to take care of your teeth this Halloween?
- Brush. Try to not brush immediately after eating candy this could worsen enamel erosion. Try to wait up to a half hour and make sure to drink water in the meantime.
- Floss. Halloween is one of the most important times of year to floss, as those sticky candies can get stuck in your child’s teeth and cause tooth decay! Encourage flossing of teeth and get food particles out of those tight spaces.
- Eat healthy. Candy should never become the staple of your child’s diet, no matter what time of year. Monitor candy consumption closely and always encourage lots of fresh foods this can help reduce damage done from sugar!
- Visit your dentist in Asheville. Getting your kids dental checkups are so important. Their baby teeth help to guide their adult teeth in properly. Get a dental exam with your Asheville dentist service to ensure tooth decay isn’t already taking a toll!
Are you and your kids ready for Halloween? Get ready for this fun night of the year by making sure your children take excellent care of their teeth, limit their consumption of sticky candies, and enjoy candy with other meals rather than by itself. By helping them to take great care of their teeth, you can set them up for fun and a healthy smile this Halloween!
Trick-or-treat!