3 Tips to Ensure Better Oral Health During Halloween  

Halloween is a time for your child to dress up in their favorite costume and go door-to-door in search of the best treats in the neighborhood. Whether they plan to be a princess, pirate, ghost, vampire, or superhero, you can expect their bags to be filled with sweets by the end of the night. While it’s all good fun, the potentially harmful effect of candy isn’t. Here are 3 helpful tips to ensure your child doesn’t experience any oral health problems as a result of their trick-or-treating stash.

Allow Your Child to Enjoy a Sweet Treat (or Two) with Meals

Instead of letting them snack on all these delicious treats throughout the day, allow them to indulge at mealtimes.

After finishing their main course, tell them they can have one or two small treats from their candy bag. In doing so, the added saliva inside their mouth will help to dissolve harmful acids that are known to feed on sugars and break down tooth enamel.

Not to mention, if your child is drinking water with their meal, the additional fluid will help to flush out any harmful bacteria so that it doesn’t remain on their teeth.

Have Your Child Pick Out Their Favorites and Donate the Rest

Whether your child enjoys chocolate or gummy treats, allow them to pick out their favorites but with the understanding that the rest will be donated. Plenty of dentists offer candy buyback programs so that kids do not continuously eat sugary foods in large quantities.

There is also the option of donating the remainder of the candy to servicemen and women who are overseas. This can be a great way to say thank you for their service and share a bit of Halloween fun with them.

Don’t Skip Regular Oral Hygiene Routines

No matter how late you and your child stay out trick-or-treating, you should make sure that they don’t skip their normal oral hygiene routine before bed. While it may be late, their teeth need proper protection throughout the night.

This means making sure that they brush their teeth a full two minutes, floss, and if they’re old enough, rinse with an ADA-approved mouthwash to flush out any remaining bad bacteria.

In doing so, they will go to bed with a healthier smile and wake up knowing that their teeth did not suffer the consequences of consuming various candies the night before.

While ghosts, ghouls, and goblins may not be real, cavities are, and they can be quite scary if they’re allowed to form. Take extra steps to help your little one maintain a healthier smile this season so that they don’t end up with a special trip to the emergency dentist’s office.

About the Author
Dr. Kevin Schrimper is a Rocky Mount dentist who completed his Doctor of Dental Surgery at the University of North Carolina. Pursuing advanced training at the Pankey Institute, Nash Institute, and Dawson Institute, he and his colleagues offer preventive services and helpful tips to keep smiles healthy throughout the holidays. If you are preparing to trick-or-treat with your child this Halloween, visit our website or call (252) 937-7878 to learn how you can better protect their pearly whites from the scary reality that is cavities.