Halloween is an exciting time for children. They love dressing up in costumes, trick-or-treating and getting a large supply of goodies all in one night. However, beware of cavities! Halloween candy and any sticky, sugary food and drinks can easily promote tooth decay. Halloween treats don't have to be sticky, hard or gooey candy to be fun. Instead fill them up with healthy alternatives such as pretzels, granola bars or sugar free gum. Or pass to consider non-food such as pencils, stickers or small toys.
On Halloween day, children should have a balanced meal before their events. So they are less likely to fill empty calorie foods and treats can dramatically reduce the days of Halloween. Restriction total of sweets is not healthy or realistic. Try small portions, keeping the child only one or two per session as a dessert after a healthy meal. A few days laterHalloween, put the candy out of sight and then it will likely be forgotten and out of mind. Talk to your children about sugar and how it affects their teeth and body. Parents can be a positive oral hygiene role model and ensure their children achieve optimum oral health for a lifetime.
The most common causes of tooth decay in children are frequent consumption of sugar, unbalanced diet and inconsistent tooth brushing habits. The sticky candy and sugary drinks are harmful to teeth and are like bathing the teeth in sugar. The candy stays in the grooves on the biting surface of the teeth and is hard to brush off while the sugar seeps between the teeth causing decay. Sour candy can burn oral tissues and hard candies can break teeth. All of these sugary treats will undoubtedly increase your child's chance of getting tooth decay! Below you will find a list of sticky/hard candies you may want to consider removing from their treat bag.
Tootsie Rolls
Caramel candy (Milk Duds)
Jolly Ranchers
Sour Skittles
Jawbreakers
Suckers
Any other candy that falls into the sticky/sour or hard candy category
Until a child reaches the age of nine years old they will need parent help to effectively brush and floss their teeth. Brushing removes plaque and bacteria from teeth which decreases the risk of developing a cavity after consuming sugar. Helping children brush in the morning and at night before bed develops oral hygiene habits that will last a lifetime for the child.
If your child does eat sweets on Halloween or there after, please remember to spend extra time brushing and flossing their teeth after a sugary snack and before going to bed. Most of all have fun with your kids!
Kasi Franck DDS
Rockin, California
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