06 Oct 2017 Dentist Tips For A Healthy Halloween
Let’s be totally honest here; Halloween is the time for putting on incredible costumes, collecting a great stash of candy and having a blast. Whether you’re a child or adult, it’s a day to indulge as long as you follow some smart, basic dental rules for protecting your smile and avoiding cavities from Halloween candy teeth.
Trick or Treat means bringing home a variety of candy when children go door-to- door to pick up their sweetened loot. Most dentists would agree that most of it isn’t doing your little goblin any favors, but choosing right can make a difference.
The Bacteria-Sugar- Acid Candy Connection
If we break down the science of sugar and how it affects our teeth, it all begins in the mouth where bacteria resides. When a piece of candy is eaten, the bacteria nibbles away at the sugar, producing a weak acid. The acid then creates tiny holes in your teeth’s enamel, and this decay eventually leads to larger holes that become Halloween cavities. Boo!
Let Chocolate Become Your Halloween BFF
Since Halloween is the one time of the year to splurge on sinfully delicious treats, why not choose the least damaging candy, right?
Think chocolate, and try to steer your children to these popular treats before they reach for the Gummy bears. Chocolate is easier to remove after eating because it washes off the teeth with little effort.
Sticky Treats Get Stuck In Nooks And Crannies
Chewy candies that get lodged between your teeth might taste yummy, but trying to remove every tiny particle is challenging. The longer these sticky bites linger behind your teeth’s nooks and crannies, the more time the bacteria goes to work destroying the enamel. Then, your adorable goblin ends up with Halloween candy teeth and the cavities that go hand-in-hand.
Hard And Sour Candies Are Also Damaging Treats
Pure sugar comes packed into these round balls of candy, and dentists warn to avoid them, especially the sour, sticky treats. Hard candies cause the mouth to use more saliva as teeth are sucking on the sugar and rolling over the teeth for longer periods of time.
Sour balls contain more acidity, creating Halloween cavities in quicker time.
Hard candies can break a tooth when you or your little one is chomping
down, so take a pass on these Halloween candy teeth destroyers.
Floss and Some Brushing Action Are A Must
It’s surely fun indulging in some sweet Halloween treats, but dentists recommend proper timing and then arming your children with good oral habits.
For example, Halloween candy is best eaten shortly after mealtime. There will be more saliva production following a meal. The extra saliva will help cancel out acid produced by the mouth’s bacteria and rinse away food particles.
For example, Halloween candy is best eaten shortly after mealtime. There will be more saliva production following a meal. The extra saliva will help cancel out acid produced by the mouth’s bacteria and rinse away food particles.
Brushing the teeth with a fluoride toothpaste twice a day will help prevent Halloween cavities.