Is it really that time of year again? Halloween is fun and festive but if you’re a parent you may be worried about the effects that Halloween candy can have on your child’s oral health. Candy consumption can easily turn into cavities if you don’t take the right steps on Halloween. Here are some tips from our doctors at Hersch Pediatric Dentistry and Orthodontics!
1. Put yourself in control of candy consumption
Your child may want to hold onto their stash of candy after Halloween and control how they eat it. This is a bad idea for a number of reasons. Excessive candy consumption can make your child sick, harming both their overall and general health. Keep the candy somewhere your kids can’t get to it, and regulate how much they can eat at a time and when they can eat it. For example, letting your kids have a few pieces of candy after each meal is a good way to regulate consumption and still keep them happy! Think about what may work for you.
2. Discourage intermittent snacking on candy throughout the day
Eating candy constantly throughout the day will result in elevated levels of sugar in your child’s mouth for horse at a time, which leads to cavities.For example: don’t let your kids have a piece of candy every hour. Instead, give them a few pieces of candy to eat all at once, so that their saliva can start washing away the sugar.
3. Make sure your kids brush after they eat candy
A quick brush after eating candy will destroy bacteria and wash away sugar – even if it’s a quick 30 seconds to a minute brush! Mouthwash can also be a good addition if your kids are old enough to use it properly.
4. Give them sugar-free gum with xylitol
If brushing after every candy eating session is impractical, the next best thing is sugar free gum with xylitol. Chewing gum stimulates saliva production, and helps wash away bacteria and sugar. Xylitol has anti-cavity effects that can help safeguard your child’s oral health.
5. Limit consumption of sticky or chewy candy, and very hard candyPublish Now
Sticky and chewy candies such as taffy and caramel are typically the worst for your child’s oral health. This is because the sticky sugar gets in the “nooks and crannies” and gaps in your child’s mouth. It can’t be removed easily which contributes to cavities. Hard candies like lollipops are also not good for your child’s oral health because they often take a long time to eat, leading to prolonged high levels of sugar in their mouths.
Halloween can be a challenging time, but with these tips you’ll be able to make sure your child avoids tooth decay and cavities. Also, be sure to schedule a post-halloween preventative exam and teeth cleaning. Give us a call today!