Tips From a Children’s Dentist for Keeping Teeth Healthy This Halloween

With Halloween approaching, patients of our children’s dentist office often ask what to do about Halloween and if it is okay for their kids to eat all of that candy.  This is a fun time to the year and the start of what ends up being a long holiday season full of yummy, but often unhealthy, treats.  It is important to keep your teeth and your kids’ teeth healthy during this time.

Unfortunately, no matter how delicious sugary candy and treats are – sugar is bad for the health of your teeth and gums.  That’s just the bottom line.  It is important to limit your sugar intake, so here are some suggestions for keeping your kids from eating an entire bag of candy this Halloween.

• Eat before you go.  Have dinner prepared and make sure that they eat a good size serving before heading out to trick-or-treat. As a children’s dentist, we recommend that meals contain a balance of lean protein, green leafy vegetables, and dairy products.  This will help to keep your teeth healthy and prevent a sugar rush at the same time.  When your kids feel full, they will be less likely to overindulge.
• Carry water.  Bring a water bottle with you and give your kids a drink as you walk.  This will also prevent them from wanting to eat a ton of candy, and if they drink water after snacking on a piece, it will help to wash the sugar away.
• Set a limit.  Tell your kids ahead of time how many pieces of candy they are allowed to eat on Halloween.  Let them know that they can have a set amount, and once they have reached their limit, they are done for the day.  This will prevent them from sneaking candy as they trick-or-treat along with stopping the all-night candy binge from happening.
• Hide the candy.  When you get home, and they have taken their allowed candy limit, hide their bag of candy.  Do not let your kids take it to their room, or you may find that they eat most of it in a day or two.  Instead, put it somewhere that they cannot reach and pull out a piece now and then for a reward. Otherwise, simply give the candy away.

Make sure that your children brush their teeth after eating their candy.  Don’t wait for bedtime.  It is important to get sugar off of their teeth as quickly as possible.  If you are trick-or-treating at a friend’s house, you can also carry a bottle of mouthwash and have them rinse after eating their treat.  The key is to prevent your children from eating too much and get the sugar off of their teeth as quickly as possible.

It is also important to visit our children’s dentist office for a teeth cleaning and exam.  If they go into the holiday season with a cavity, the sugar will only make their oral health problems worse.  Schedule an appointment to make sure that your children’s teeth are in optimal health.