Halloween! A Dental Nightmare? It is the scariest time of the year – for teeth! Even if this year is not going to be quite the same as in the past, Halloween traditionally means more treats than tricks. We have a few tricks up our sleeves as well for helping the scary season be a little easier on those little chompers!
- Fill up on nutritious foods prior to the candy. A good, healthy meal will help fuel your little trick-or-treater, and hopefully not allow for too much room for sweet treats.
- Try to stick to treats that are not sticky. Cavity-causing treats include gummy worms, starburst and those little brown taffy candies that end up in every trick-or-treat bag. Avoid these if possible and serve chips, popcorn or rice crispy squares instead.
- Limit how much candy your little ghost or ghoul has. Once the candy has been inspected, sort and limit how much will be eaten. The rest can be donated to your local shelter or food bank (ask first as things may have changed with Covid-19!). Better yet, stop trick-or-treating when your child has a reasonable amount of candy.
- Don’t stretch the candy consumption over the month. While this may initially seem like a great idea, every time your child has a few sugary treats, there is an acid attack on the teeth. Limiting all candy consumption to a few days is a much better plan to reduce the risk of cavity development.
We hope you find these tips helpful! Halloween doesn’t have to be a dental nightmare after all. We wish everyone a safe, happy and spoooooky Halloween!
