Oral Care Tips for Halloween

Enjoy Haloween without being scared of cavities.

The Tricks of Protecting Teeth from Treats

Princesses and heroes, goblins and ghouls, whichever character your child chooses to become, don't forget to protect their teeth during Halloween!

The month of October is filled with treats to celebrate the spookiest day of the year, Halloween! There is a chance your child may pop some treats in their mouth after spending hourstrick-or-treating. You might even be tempted to eat a couple pieces of sweets yourself! Follow the tips below to defend both of your mouths from cavities:

• Brush and Floss. Brushing and flossing immediately after eating treats are the best method to defend and protect the teeth against cavity-causing bacteria.
• Avoid sour candy. The acid in sour candies can be harmful to teeth by breaking down enamel.
• Avoid hard candy. Hard candies like lollipops and other hard, fruity candies take a long time to dissolve. This allows plenty of time for the bacteria to convert the sugar in the candy into acid and break down the enamel.
• Drink water immediately after eating candy if the option of brushing and flossing isn't available. The water helps balance the pH levels in the mouth that acidic and sugary candies make unbalanced. Drinking water immediately also washes away sugar and acid from candy that cling to the teeth.
• Avoid chewy or sticky candy. Similar to hard candies, chewy and sticky candies can take a long time to dissolve if not broken down and swallowed quickly. Sticky candies adhere to pits and grooves of the teeth, which can be difficult to remove. Rapid tooth decay can be the result of sticky candies left in the teeth.

The key to enjoying Halloween treats is moderation and taking small steps to reduce the risk of tooth decay. Some communities offer candy buy-back programs where candy can be exchanged for other types of rewards. Check out community newsletters or websites to see if a buy-back program is available in your area.

Non-Candy Halloween Treats Children will Enjoy

You don't have to limit handing out treats to just sugar and acidic goodies. Noncandy Halloween treats are just as popular, fun, and exciting. These noncandy ideas can also release parents from the stress of causing a food allergy:   

• Bouncy ball
• Slinkies
• Stickers
• Glow sticks
• School supplies
• Mini bottle water
• Mini puzzles

The children's teeth will thank you for going the extra "SMILE"! Happy Halloween!