Halloween is just around the corner, and there is no getting away from the fact it’s a celebration filled with candy. When children consume lots of sugary foods, the bacteria in dental plaque use these sugars to thrive, creating a mild acid that attacks the hard outer layer of the tooth called enamel. Repeated exposure to acid eventually weakens the enamel, creating cavities in Newcastle. The extent of the damage depends on how frequently teeth are exposed to sugar and how long the stronger remains in the mouth.
However, nobody wants to be a killjoy, so we put together some helpful tips to make Halloween a bit healthier for teeth.
1. Plan Ahead
Before you go trick or treating, discuss how long you will stay out and how much candy your child can eat once they get home. It’s best to establish how many treats they can eat per day.
2. Get Properly Fitting Costumes
A huge part of the fun of Halloween is picking out that costume but ensure it fits properly. Long capes, dresses, or ill-fitting shoes can lead to trips or falls.
3. Eat a Balanced Meal Before Trick or Treating
Before you go out, ensure your child eats a balanced and healthy meal. If they are satisfied, they are less likely to want to snack on too much candy.
4. Eat Sweet Treats with a Meal
This is a good habit to get into year-round, ensuring sweet treats are eaten as part of a main meal rather than as a snack. Enjoying them as part of a meal helps reduce the time teeth are exposed to harmful acids, whereas frequent snacking increases the time teeth are exposed to these acids.
5. Pick Out Favourites and Ditch the Rest
Kids can come home with an enormous amount of candy. One way to get around this problem is to give them a smaller trick or treat bag or go through the treats with them and get them to pick out their favourites and get rid of the rest. If your kid isn’t particularly bothered about eating candy after Halloween, you could offer to trade the remaining candy for a toy or another small item.
6. Choose Chocolate
If you can, encourage your kid to pick chocolate treats over anything sticky, hard or crunchy. Chocolate is a better choice because it melts easily and is more quickly washed away by saliva, reducing the harm to teeth.
7. Halloween With Braces
If your child wears braces in Clarington, ensure they avoid very chewy, hard, sticky or crunchy treats that could damage or break their braces, which can also be very difficult to remove afterwards. In this situation, chocolate is definitely a better choice!
8. Check Treats Before Eating
Most parents will do this anyway, but it’s important to ensure your child doesn’t eat any treats before they get home so you can check them carefully to ensure they are safe, especially if your kid has any allergies.
9. Rinse After Eating, then Brush and Floss
After your child has a sugary treat, get them to rinse their mouth with plain water. This helps to wash away some of the sugars and harmful acids. Wait at least half an hour after eating something sweet before brushing and flossing, and just so acidity levels can normalize, giving tooth enamel a chance to re-harden.
10. Book Dental Checkups and Hygiene Appointments
If your kid is due for a dental checkup, get in touch with West Bowmanville Family Dental to schedule their visit. As a child-friendly dental practice in Courtice, we ensure visits are as enjoyable as possible, helping your kid have a healthy smile year-round.