It’s Halloween time! This time of year is always bustling about with fall colors and activities, costumes and scary decorations. But with all of the candy that comes on Halloween night, you have to take extra care to protect your family’s teeth from the cavities the candy can cause. Here are tips you can use to help your family have a healthy and happy Halloween.
Choose the Right Snacks
Cavities are caused by over-exposing teeth to the acids the bacteria in your mouth makes from sugar, so choosing the right snacks can help. Help your kids select candies that are quick to eat. Hard and sticky candies stay in the mouth longer and are more likely to contribute to cavities.
Time Your Treats Right
Eating your Halloween candy at meals or soon after will actually be better for your kids’ teeth. At mealtimes your mouth makes more saliva, which helps to cancel the acids that the bacteria in your mouth make and washes away food particles.
Save the Candy for Later
One thing you can do is to have your kids select a number of candies from their collection that they can eat as part of Halloween, then put the rest in the freezer in preparation for another holiday such as Christmas or as a candy bank that they can withdraw from when they complete their chores.
Keep Brushing!
Helping your kids to brush after eating candy will strengthen good oral habits and teach them the importance of always caring for their teeth.
If you’d like to learn more about what you can do to help your kids have a healthy Halloween this year or would like to schedule your family’s next appointment with Dr. Brian T. Edwards, DDS, contact us in Newhall, California, today at 661-254-4000. Have a Happy Halloween!
