It’s inevitable for your children to return home on Halloween with a load of unhealthy candy, which is bad for their diet and also bad for their oral health. While we can’t keep them from enjoying trick-or-treating and collecting large amounts of candy that will make them happy, we can help them limit their candy intake and advise them on what candy is best to eat and teach them how to care for their teeth after they eat it.
In order to care for your children’s teeth this Halloween, here are a few things to consider. First, talk to your children about candy, and tell them the reasons why having a little candy may be ok, but having a lot of it is a bad idea. Instead of denying your child candy altogether, set limits on what and how much they eat and help them to identify and avoid candies that cause the most damage to teeth. These include caramels, taffy, and sour candies that are coated in sugar.
You might also let your child know when they can eat their candy and set a limit on how much. For instance, allow them to choose a few pieces of candy to eat, and only after lunch or dinner. Besides limiting the negative effects on their teeth, this may also prevent a few other things, including stomach aches, unneeded energy by sugar rush, and overconsumption of bad or unnecessary calories.
One extra tip for caring for your child’s teeth and gums on Halloween is a little obvious. Make sure they brush their teeth! But, make sure they wait a few minutes before brushing their teeth. Brushing immediately following candy intake can make things worse for your teeth. Allow 10-15 minutes to pass before brushing.
Tooth decay begins with the foods you put in your mouth. The more sugars and starches a food has, the worse it is for you. The sugars in the food can enable bacteria to produce in dental plaque to collect in your mouth, which can lead to the loss of tooth mineral and eventually to cavities.
Call us at (512) 442-6728 and schedule a dental appointment with Dr. Bruce Silva today!
