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Do you have the sweet tooth of an eight-year-old in the body of a 48-year-old? You’re definitely not alone, since many adults never give up their love of candy. You may not be compiling candy door-to-door in your costume anymore, but one way or another there’s a good chance you will have a lot of opportunities to eat candy this time of year.
Here are some tips from your dentist in Highland Park to prevent your consumption of Halloween candy from wreaking havoc on your teeth and gums.
Be Selective About Your Candy
Hard candy can potentially break your tooth but sucking on it isn’t great either because then you’re holding a sugar source in your mouth for a long time. Sour candy has a lot of sugar, plus it’s acidic, directly harming your tooth enamel. Gummy candy can remain stuck in your mouth for a long time after you chew it. Sugarless candy is obviously the champion, but if you can’t go that route then chocolate is the best bet for your teeth. Dark chocolate has less sugar, is high in antioxidants, and is an excellent choice.
Limit Your Exposure
Just as you might for a child, try to set a window of time during the day in which you can have some candy. Not only will this reduce the amount you eat, but you can be proactive about completing your oral health regimen 30 minutes after eating candy when the pH level in your mouth has returned to normal thanks to your saliva.
Drink Plenty of Water
Staying hydrated is always a good idea and it’s even better when Halloween candy is involved. Drinking water while eating candy will help wash away some particles and swishing a sip of water around in your mouth is even better to that end. While drinking is being discussed, since you are getting more sugar than usual elsewhere, try to steer clear of soda, sports drinks, and flavored water during Halloween season.
Chew Sugarless Gum
If you recoiled in horror at the idea of eating sugarless candy, hopefully that cringe doesn’t carry over to sugarless gum. Always a great choice after a meal, it’s a wise decision after eating candy, too, in order to increase saliva flow.
Visit Your Dentist Before December
If you know your candy consumption will be up in early November as you battle your sweet tooth to move on from Halloween, a visit to your dentist for a cleaning and exam comes just in time for you to turn your attention from candy corn to turkey and dressing. They can detect cavities in the early stages and clean the hard-to-reach areas of your mouth, which seems timely on the backside of Halloween candy season.
It’s okay to feel like a kid again and indulge in your favorite candies this Halloween. However, if you aren’t careful, you’ll have a mouthful of cavities before the holidays. Fortunately, implementing the tips above can help prevent that from happening!
About the Author
As the father of two young daughters, Dr. Girish Sandadi understands the challenge for someone to control their Halloween candy-eating habits. Earning his Doctor of Dental Surgery from the University of Michigan, Dr. Sandadi has made sure to prioritize continuing education courses so that he stays on the cutting edge of developments in the dental field. Even if you admirably follow this checklist and keep your Halloween candy-eating from getting out of control, Dr. Sandadi will be ready if you want peace of mind heading toward the holiday season with a dental exam and cleaning. To make an appointment, visit his website or call (214) 528-9990.