It’s the season of ghosts, ghouls, witches, and of course candy! If you’re savvy about it, there’s no reason for you Halloween fun to come at the expense of your dental health.
Here are 10 dental tips for you this Halloween:
- Delay eating the candy until you get home.
- Avoid sour candy, chewy candies that stick on and between your teeth, and hard candy like suckers, that rest on your teeth for long periods of time.
- Eat candy after meals. This way you kids ingest less and the saliva will help to reduce cavities.
- Keep the candy in reserve and only bring it out for the kids after meals.
- Have the kids get their toothbrush, toothpaste, floss, and mouthwash, before eating the candy. This reinforces good cleaning/prevention habits.
- Look inside your child’s mouth after brushing, if there are visable signs of candy stuck in the grooves of the back teeth, brush again. Then, look again to determine if all the candy has been removed.
- Have chewing gum available that contains xylitol. Xylitol aids preventing cavities caused by eating Halloween candy. Chewing gum when away from the toothbrush can assist in cleansing the candy particles away from their teeth.
- Rinse with a fluoride mouthwash after eating the candy. Fluoride helps to prevent cavities and strengthen teeth.
- Floss to remove candy stuck between teeth.
- Encourage your kids to eat healthier foods.