Halloween will be here before you know it, and your family will have delicious confections in buckets! You might as well call it candy season because of the number of treats offered at every event this season. Everyone is in the mood to celebrate the change of season and indulge in their favorite spooky treats like candy corn, caramel apples, taffy, and more!
With some careful planning, you can help your family enjoy traditional ghoulish goodies without permanently damaging their teeth. Unfortunately, consuming a lot of candy often leads to cavities because sugar creates an environment in your mouth that is actively conducive to cavity formation, thanks to oral bacteria.
While some bacteria in the mouth are good and promote a healthy oral ecosystem, the rest are bad for you because they increase in number and thrive when you eat sugar. These bacteria then release harmful oral acids that weaken tooth enamel, allowing cavities to form.
Worst Candies for Teeth
While none of them are particularly good for you, some are worse than others. Avoid hard or chewy, sticky candy like the plague they are as these break down the protective tooth enamel layer:
- Taffy
- Hard-to-chew, sticky candy
- Jawbreakers
- Gummy candies
- Caramels and caramel apples
- Sour candies that are extra acidic
These sweets can also get trapped in between teeth. It makes it harder to clear this bacterial residue away. Normally, saliva works to wash away food particles except for between the teeth, so that is why you need to floss those spaces daily, especially after eating sweets. Fortunately, you have healthier options to protect your child’s teeth during the Halloween season!
Protecting Your Child’s Teeth
- Go through your child’s candy with them, take out the ones they can’t have (see list above), and donate those to your local fire department, homeless shelter, hospital, or senior citizen center. Giving also boosts your child’s self-esteem, makes them feel good about themselves while helping out their community and makes you feel better by protecting their smiles.
- Do not let your child graze on candies throughout the day. Offer them a particular time to enjoy their fun treats, and limit them to three pieces a day.
- Do not give your kids candy for their daily snacks. Stick to fruits and cheeses that are better for their teeth, and then allow some candy later.
- Soft candies that melt quickly are your kids’ (sort of) best friend. The fewer sugars and acids linger on their teeth, the better their teeth fare.
- October is not the time for your child to become lax on their daily oral hygiene habits. Now more than ever, they need to brush at least twice a day and floss at least once (preferably before bed, so no sugary residue sets up camp on their teeth while they sleep).
- Have your child wait half an hour before brushing after eating acidic foods and drinks. It allows the acid to wash away before brushing the enamel surface.
- Get sealants when your child sees the dentist. Sealants help the molars do much better by preventing cavities on those hard-to-reach and clean areas.
- Give your child access to plenty of water to refresh their mouth and body. Even rinsing with water after indulging in sweets can help wash away some sugar, so it doesn’t stick around on tooth surfaces.
- Limit candy treats to have with meals instead of randomly throughout the day. Chewing increases saliva production, which helps neutralize some of the oral acids, helping to wash away sugary food particles around their teeth.
- This Halloween, consider handing out fun toys instead of candy such as plastic spider rings, mini play-doh, stickers, or glow sticks.
- If your child has not seen the dentist yet for their next biannual dental cleaning and exam, fall is a great time to get their teeth cleaned and checked for potential developing problems.
Festive Family Halloween Fun
We hope these tooth-friendly tips help you and your child enjoy the frightful festivities while still taking good care of their “fangs.” Halloween is just the start of the holiday season. Dressing up in fun costumes, carving pumpkins into jack-o-lanterns, and decorating your home with skeletons, ghosts, bats, and witches hats are a fun time for everyone to enjoy Halloween!