4 Easy Dental Care Tips Your Child Needs for a Healthier Halloween

Tricks to Enjoying Treats Without Compromising Dental Care.

With Halloween just a week away, families are gearing up for the annual trick-or-treat haul. While parents will likely spend over $7 billion this year on costumes, candy and spooky decor, children have one sole objective in mind: to collect as many sweets as they can. This can be a risky scenario for parents; not only must they worry about their child’s safety, but they must also be conscious of their child’s sudden access to a pillow case full of unhealthy, sugary treats.

So, how can you find a balance between letting your child enjoy the perks of this highly anticipated day without compromising their oral health in the process? Let’s explore some simple dental care tips you can implement to avoid the spooky consequences of Halloween candy consumption.

Tackling the Halloween Candy Haul

So, your child is now the proud owner of a bag full of sweets. Before switching into panic mode, follow these tips to help keep a healthy control of your child’s candy intake (and dental care):

1. Incorporate Healthy Snacks in Between Treats

   We understand a pack of raisins doesn’t compare to savory M&M’s, but compromise is the key to victory for both parent and child. This means weaving in some healthier snack options in between candy consumption that promote a balanced and more positive dental health. You can also try sneaking in less harmful (but still sweet) options, such as sugar-free gum or sugar-free lollipops. These treats help stimulate the production of saliva, which neutralizes the acids produced by candy consumption and prevents tooth decay.

2. Perform a “Candy Purge”

   You’ll have to inspect your child’s candy haul for safety regardless, so take that time to weed out the more unfavorable options. Here are some types of sweets you should consider limiting in your child’s candy inventory:

   • Sticky/chewy candy: Gummies, caramels, taffy (to name a few) linger in your child’s teeth long after they’ve been delightfully consumed. The sugars in these treats stick to the crevices of the teeth and make it hard for saliva to wash it away, thus promoting tooth decay.
   • Sour candy: These treats contain high levels of acid. This acid breaks down tooth enamel and can cause serious tooth erosion.

   Performing a “candy purge” will help cut down on the amount of “bad” candy your child can consume, while still allowing them some level of control over keeping the ones they really want. Remember, it’s all about moderation.

   

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3. Time Your Child’s Treats

   As the age old saying says, timing is everything. Of course, your child will most likely want to consume every piece of candy they collected in one sitting. This would obviously be detrimental to their dental care, so choose a time of day where they can choose one piece of candy to enjoy. This will help their treats last longer, while controlling their consumption. If they’ve kept some of the more harmful candies described above, it’s important to also be mindful of their oral care routine.

   For example, we already know that sour candies don’t exactly promote healthy dental care. However, if your child is absolutely adamant on enjoying at least one piece of these lip-puckering candies, be sure to wait 30 minutes after consuming to brush teeth. This is because saliva helps naturally restore the balance of acids in the mouth. So, brushing too soon after consuming acid-friendly candies will cause you to brush more acid onto your child’s teeth, which promotes tooth erosion.

4. Don’t Forget to Schedule a Visit to the Dentist

   While brushing and flossing at home are crucial components of your child’s dental care, there may be times when even the most meticulous brusher misses a few hard-to-reach corners in the teeth. Beaufils Dental is a go-to for Cooper City teeth cleaning services for families. We like to remind our patients of the importance of scheduling their child’s routine teeth cleaning to prevent a spooky build-up of sugar.

A Healthy Halloween is Only One Dental Visit Away

All in all, your child can still enjoy Halloween without sacrificing the quality of their smile. Beaufils Dental is a Cooper city dentist providing quality dental care to keep your child’s smile safe from the dangers of candy consumption. Establishing a positive dental care routine for your child this Halloween will help them maintain positive oral health year-round. Contact Beaufils Dental today at 954-252-1390 to schedule an appointment and learn more about how we can help remove the “spooky” out of Halloween candy consumption.