Each
October, children look forward to dressing up and going from house to house
collecting candy for Halloween. But in October, we celebrate more than just
Halloween – it is also National Dental Hygiene Month so it’s the perfect time
of the year to teach our children good oral health.
Here
are five of our favorite tips for making it through Halloween with healthy
teeth and good oral hygiene:
Certain
candy is better for teeth than others
As
dentists, we do not recommend eating a lot of candy; however, there are some
that can be more damaging than others. Candies that are sticky and chewy tend
to get stuck in the crevices of your teeth and cause cavities. Candies that
stay in your mouth longer, such as lollipops and Jolly Ranchers, also have the
potential to be harmful because your teeth are exposed to the sugar for a
longer period of time. We recommend sorting out these types of candies from
your child’s Halloween candy and only keeping the candy that is quicker to eat
and lower in sugars, such as chocolates and powdery candy.
Make
the candy a treat
Children
often tend to consume more candy around Halloween because it is lying around
the house. That encourages snacking all day which is bad for your teeth. Instead
of leaving the candy out, stash it away -- and make it a treat. This will
prevent kids from consuming the candy whenever they want. Reward your child
with a piece of candy for completing chores, getting a good grade, having a
good attitude, etc.
Practice
good dental hygiene after eating candy
Brushing
twice a day is always important to maintaining good oral health; however, when
your sugar intake increases, it is especially important to increase your oral
health hygiene as well. Brushing your teeth and rinsing your mouth after
consuming candy can reduce your chances of tooth decay. Also, make sure your
little ones drink a lot of water (even better if it contains fluoride); this
will help wash the candy particles away.
Donate
extra Halloween candy
Donating
your child’s Halloween candy
is great
way to limit the amount of candy your child consumes. We recommend sitting down
with your child to help them pick a few of their favorites and then packing up
the rest. There are many charities, dentist offices and organizations that take
candy donations. Some dental offices will even reward patients for bringing in
candy.
There
are alternatives to candy
Consider
purchasing healthy snacks or non-food treats for those who visit your home.
Crackers, pretzels, stickers, pencils, yo-yos, coloring books, and of course
toothbrushes, toothpaste and floss are all great things to handout and are
still fun for kids.
Halloween doesn’t have to be
scary for parents and dentists if you follow these tips. DentaQuest wishes
everyone a happy and safe Halloween!