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You likely already know, but Halloween is close at hand. It won’t be long before trick-or-treaters start looking for spooky sweets. That said, the last day of October doesn’t have to give your kids cavities. You can make All Hallows’ Eve safer for their smiles. In fact, all it takes is following the right practices and tricks. Your Dallas dentist can even share a few. To that end, here are four Halloween oral health tips that’ll protect your child’s grin on the 31st.
Skip Certain Candies
Even if they want their trick-or-treat candy, ensure your child avoids certain sweets. Some can be much worse for teeth than others. In particular, have your kid(s) steer clear of the following:
- Hard Candies – However tasty, hard candies aren’t good for smiles. They’re designed to be savored, so their sugar content lingers on teeth. Worse yet, biting them can lead to chipped or cracked enamel. (This latter point especially applies to lollipops and jawbreakers.)
- Sticky and Gooey Candies – Sticky and gooey candies are especially bad for grins. They often cling to teeth once chewed, making them hard to remove from your mouth. This difficulty gives the treats time to damage your tooth enamel.
Trick-or-Treat on a Full Stomach
If a child goes trick-or-treating before dinner, they’ll likely get hungry from moving door-to-door. From there, they may gorge on their candy once the evening ends. This act would expose their teeth to a lot of tooth-decaying sugar.
To avoid that latter outcome, have your child trick-or-treat on a full stomach. That way, they’ll be less tempted to “fill up” on candy as the 31st winds down. The result will be improved protection for their smiles.
Only Eat Candy at Mealtimes
After Halloween, many kids like to eat their trick-or-treat candy at all hours. They’ll take every opportunity to eat the sweets in high quantities. Unfortunately, this approach will put them at serious risk of cavities.
Luckily, you can make a special rule for your kids: they can only eat candy at mealtimes. If they stick to this practice, they’ll benefit from the extra saliva in their mouths. The liquid will help rinse away leftover candy bits and cavity-causing acids.
Remember Your Oral Hygiene
Despite your best efforts, Halloween will likely put sugar on your kids’ teeth. So, make sure they practice good oral hygiene before and after the trick-or-treating.
To be more specific, your child should stick to standard oral care. Firstly, they ought to brush their teeth twice daily with a soft-bristled toothbrush. They’ll also need to floss at least once daily. As needed, your children should also rinse often with mouthwash.
Using these Halloween oral health tips, you can keep your kids’ grins safe. So, have your little ones memorize them ahead of the 31st!
About the Practice
Highland Smiles Dental is based in Dallas, TX. Led by Dr. Girish Sandadi, our practice emphasizes a patient-first approach to dentistry. That means we offer preventive, cosmetic, and restorative services tailored to your unique smile. At the same time, our team can provide you with emergency dental care and oral sedation options. For more details or to book a visit, you can reach us on our website or by phone at (214)-528-9990.