Have A Scary Good Halloween By Following These Dental Tips

Halloween is one of the most anticipated holidays for children, but it can be one of the worst for their vulnerable teeth. The candy, drinks and sweet treats that kids get over Halloween are full of decay-producing sugar that eats away at their tooth enamel. This often causes cavities, which can be annoying to treat and painful for kids. Trading in sugar-filled treats for healthier ones and doubling down on brushing and flossing are some ways to keep teeth healthy this Halloween. Find out how you can encourage good oral hygiene habits over the holiday and keep your kids’ teeth safe from cavities with these tips!

Sugar and Teeth

Halloween is just around the corner, and kids are more excited than ever to trade their school clothes for costumes and run around the neighborhood in search of candy and other sweet treats. While Halloween is a fun day for kids, it can be a disastrous one for their teeth as they get drenched in sugar. Sugar is a wonderful treat to have every once in a while, but candy overload from Halloween can leave kids susceptible to tooth decay and cavities. Each of our mouths are full of bacteria, but there are harmful groups of bacteria that feed on the sugary parts of food that we consume, creating decay-causing acids that eat away at tooth enamel. The tooth enamel that covers each of our teeth is the shiny protective layer that safeguards them from cavities, but teeth often lose to the constant battle that sugar wages against this natural defense. Once our enamel is gone, it’s gone, so it’s important that parents and kids everywhere do everything they can to protect their teeth from decay, especially over Halloween. Kids’ vulnerable teeth are especially susceptible to the effects of sugar and parents should do all they can to keep Halloween a happy but healthy event for everyone.

Halloween Dental Tips

While most of the candy and treats that you kid will be picking up trick-or-treating will be full of sugar, that doesn’t mean that they can’t eat it! It all comes down to making informed decisions. There are some candies that are better than others when it comes to how long they stick around in the mouth. The longer that sugar stays on teeth, the more likely bacteria will create acids that will eat away at them, so try to go for candy that isn’t sticky or hard to eat. This includes gummy bears, taffy, lollipops and the like, so talk with your child about the effects that these sticky candies can have on their teeth so that they can make an educated choice when trick-or-treating. Additionally, rather than letting your child overload on sugar as soon as they get home, try to limit their candy consumption until after they eat dinner. When we eat, our mouths produce saliva to rinse away food particles. This process can also wash away the sugary remnants of candy that your little ones have eaten, along with cancelling out the acids that have built up in their mouths already. It’s also a good idea to sit down with your kids and explain the importance of brushing and flossing their teeth each day, but especially after they eat sugar-filled treats. If kids can understand what the foods they eat do to their teeth, they’ll be more cognizant of the choices they make when it comes to candy picking. If you want to make a game out of it, you can offer to trade in sugary snacks with healthier ones in exchange for a later bedtime, sleepover with friends, more screen time, etc. Halloween can be fun in many ways without having to sacrifice your children’s oral health. Taking the time to educate your children on their oral health and what choices they can make to protect it will safeguard their teeth now and in the future.

Importance of a Dental Checkup

Each of the aforementioned dental tips are great ideas to keep Halloween fun AND safe for kids’ oral health this year. While daily oral hygiene should be the number one priority, scheduling regular dental checkups with your child’s dentist will keep their teeth clean and cavity-free while also instilling good dental habits that they can use in the future. A dental checkup typically involves a thorough examination, deep cleaning and an oral cancer screening, but you can also opt for dental sealants if your child is at-risk for cavities or needs them for school. These visits also include fluoride treatments, which are especially helpful when it comes to battling tooth decay. Fluoride is a natural cavity-fighter as it makes tooth enamel stronger and therefore less susceptible to cavities. Sugar will have to work harder to get through tough tooth enamel, so fluoride treatments are a must if you want to give your kids the best chance they can get when confronting decay. If your child has a difficult cavity that needs to be treated or gets anxious about dental visits, there are a variety of sedation treatments available to calm their nerves and help them feel comfortable. There are also video games available, treasure chests prizes and cartoons in the treatment rooms to help kids feel more at ease so that they can get the dental care they need for healthy teeth.

Prevent Frightful Cavities With Our Help!

At Stonebrook Family Dental, we understand how important it is to keep children’s teeth safe this Halloween. By following these tips and bringing your child in for a dental checkup, we can ensure that your family’s oral health will be more than satisfactory this year. Call our office today at (303) 872-7907 to schedule your child’s next dental checkup and prepare them for a frightfully fun Halloween!