How Can You Keep Your Teeth Healthy During Halloween?
The Back-to-School supplies have been replaced by Halloween costumes and rows upon rows of Halloween candy. The children are getting excited to go trick-or-treating, and as a parent you wonder if you can keep their teeth healthy during Halloween. This is one of the most candy-filled holidays of the year, but there are ways to take care of your children’s teeth and have a memorable holiday too. There are ways to let them have some candy without wreaking havoc on their teeth.
All Candy is Not Bad
It’s good to know that all candy is not bad, and in moderation, you can let them enjoy their treats while protecting their oral health.
Here are a few tips to help you navigate this fun-filled holiday.
- Limit the number of houses they go to for trick or treating. This could be based on their age, or the number of houses in your immediate neighborhood.
- Before your children go trick-or-treating, establish some limits so they know you will go through their trick or treat bag prior to them eating the candy. This is a safety measure, and will give you the chance to remove candy that is more harmful to their teeth.
- Decide on a given number of treats that are reasonable to keep. When you allow children to help with the decision of how much candy they keep will benefit them beyond having good oral health. Helping them understand that too much sugar leads to tooth decay, but all candy is not bad.
- When going through their bag of candy, go through it together. Allow them to choose candy they want to keep, based on what was previously decided.
- If you have leftover candy, get creative! The food bank is always looking for donations or take it to work to share with your employers, but get it out of the house. If it is home, it will be a temptation to you and to the children!
- If you’re really feeling creative, allow them to trade in their leftover loot for a non-candy prize, such as movie tickets, or recreational activity.
What Candy Should You Eliminate from Your Child’s Trick or Treat Bag?
There are a few candies that can be harmful to your child’s teeth. Sticky candy that sits on their teeth is among the worst offenders.
- Gummy bears, caramels and taffy sticks in the grooves of your child’s teeth long after they have swallowed the last bite. It’s difficult to brush the sticky candy away, leaving a sweet substance on their teeth for a prolonged time. This creates a perfect storm for bacteria to develop cavities. This type of candy is also the main cause of fillings falling out.
- Hard candies, such as suckers, jawbreakers and Jolly Ranchers cause the most damage as they tend to break teeth while biting down on these tasty treats.
- Acidic candies erode tooth enamel, causing them to be sensitive and more subject to cavities.
Chocolate is the least harmful candy, because it doesn’t stick to your teeth and to many, it’s the best tasting candy! Dark chocolate has a lower sugar content and the cocoa in it has many beneficial properties.
Healthy Teeth is an Ongoing Task
Keeping your child’s teeth healthy is a daily job, and keeping sugary treats to a minimum is an ongoing task. Teaching your children about the effects of sugar on their teeth and overall health will pay off at Halloween and throughout the year!
Routine visits with Dr. Angela S. Evanson, DDS will help keep your children’s oral care on track. Contact us online or call (720) 409-0008 to schedule an appointment.
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