Halloween is almost upon us! This whimsical holiday is loved by children, but for some parents it brings nightmares of cavities from all the extra sugar. To protect your child’s smile, follow our top 10 tips for a tooth-healthy Halloween. Let’s scare away tooth decay together this spooky season!
1. Start With a Well-Balanced Meal
With all the fun of getting ready for trick-or-treating, dinner can easily turn into an afterthought. Before your child’s Halloween candy hunt begins, ensure they have a hearty dinner. A well-balanced meal can curb their temptation to snack on Halloween goodies throughout the night.
2. Pick a Safe Costume
From superheroes and vampires to fairies and witches, there are countless costumes to choose from! We recommend ensuring your child’s costume does not have tripping hazards, such as vision-blocking masks, long capes or cloaks, high heels, or bulky shoes. Ill-fitting costumes can easily cause a tumble. If your child’s hands are full of costume props and their candy loot, their face could easily take most of the impact.
3. Avoid Sticky Situations
While sweets are okay in moderation, there are certain ones you may want to avoid. Gummies, caramels, taffy, and sugary bubble gum may come back to haunt you at your child’s next dental exam. These candies stubbornly stick to teeth, leaving behind a sugary residue lodged between and in the grooves the teeth. This lingering residue provides harmful bacteria with an extended opportunity to erode your child’s precious tooth enamel, increasing the risk of cavities.
4. Choose Tooth-Friendly Teeths
Although sugar is never good for oral health, there are some sweets that are more forgiving than others. Chocolate melts quickly and can easily rinse away naturally with saliva. Dark chocolate is the best chocolate option since it has a fraction of the sugar of milk or white chocolate. As an added benefit, dark chocolate contains polyphenols, which limits oral bacteria and neutralizes microorganisms that cause bad breath.
5. Not All Treats Have To Be Candy
Handing out candy is fun, but many households end up with leftovers, adding even more candy for your household to go through. There are loads of other fun prizes that kids enjoy just as much as sweets. Glow sticks, temporary tattoos, and small toys are great non-edible options to pass out during Halloween. As a bonus, if you have leftover prizes, you can hand them out next year since they do not expire.
6. Incorporate Fun Fruits and Veggies
If your child has an upcoming Halloween party, why not bring a Halloween-themed vegetable or fruit platter? Fruits and vegetables are rich in fiber, which is excellent for maintaining healthy teeth and gums. You can get creative by carving a watermelon to create the perfect monster-themed fruit platter or crafting a skeleton design using your favorite veggies. This healthy dish is sure to become the highlight of the party and put a smile on kids’ faces.
7. Stay Hydrated
Bring a water bottle to keep your child hydrated during trick-or-treating. Every time your child eats a piece of candy, encourage them to wash it down with water. Sipping on water helps wash away left over sugars from candy that stick to teeth.
8. Bring Gum
Chewing sugar-free gum after eating can lower the risk of tooth decay. Chewing gum stimulates saliva production, which helps wash away plaque and food particles from the teeth. Consider giving your child gum before trick-or-treating. Chewing gum may delay them diving into their candy haul and help lower plaque buildup. However, please keep in mind that the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends waiting until age 5 to introduce gum to children to prevent choking hazards.
9. Participate In A Candy Buy-Back Program
If your child comes home with pounds of candy, have them pick a few pieces to keep and donate the rest. Many local businesses participate in Halloween Candy Buy Back or other similar programs. Some businesses offer financial incentives or other prizes in exchange for the candy. Halloween Candy Buy Back donates all its candy donations to American troops to show gratitude for their service.
10. End The Night With Brushing and Flossing
Your whole household may be exhausted after a full night of trick-or-treating. However, make sure that oral hygiene does not get skipped this spooky night. Have your child brush their teeth for a full two-minutes, thoroughly brush or scrape the tongue, and floss all the teeth before heading to bed.
Bonus Tip: Book a Post-Halloween Cleaning
Your child’s smile can never be too clean. If they had a lot of candy over the Halloween season, consider scheduling a post-Halloween cleaning. We can remove any excess plaque and tartar to ensure your child’s smile stays bright and cavity-free all year round.
