Happy, Healthy, Halloween!
Halloween is a very popular time of year. There are school parties, home parties and, of course, trick-or-treating on Halloween night. Over 40 million American children will be trick-or-treating this year, and if they don't practice good dental hygiene that can mean a lot of cavities! Here are some tips to keep your children happy and their teeth healthy this Halloween!
Teach Them to Choose Wisely
Sticky candies such as caramels and taffy are the worst for your teeth because they are difficult to remove and the sugars can remain on your teeth for long periods of time, leading to decay. Explain this to your children. If caramels and taffy are their favorites, let them keep a few, but then encourage them to pick out the candy that is healthiest for their teeth. Allowing them a candy snack with lunch and one after dinner for a week or two is a very fair compromise. Once they've chosen their candy, donate the rest. Many dentists offer Halloween candy buy-back programs. They will pay the child a certain amount of money per pound of candy then send the rest to our troops.
Tips
- Designate times when your children can have their candy treat. For instance, as mentioned above, meal times when saliva flow is high is a good time because your saliva helps fight tooth decay.
- Encourage your children to drink water while eating sweet snacks. Drinking water helps fight bacteria that cause decay.
- Rinsing with water after eating sweets is also a good habit because it rinses away leftover sugars. Rinse immediately after, then brush 30 minutes to an hour later for better protection.