Halloween treats can play tricks on children’s teeth

Costumes and candy go hand-in-hand when Halloween rolls around, but kids indulging in an excess of treats could be putting their teeth at risk for decay. If you’re a parent, you may not be able to prevent your child from eating candy — but you can take active steps to prevent tooth decay and promote good nutrition all year long.

1. Offer healthy alternatives to candy.

Sugar-free gum actually helps prevent cavities, making it a smart choice to drop into Halloween bags. You also can give sugar-free gum to your child to chew after eating candy to help neutralize the effects of sugary snacks.

Eating sweets causes damaging acids to form in the mouth. These acids continue to affect the teeth for at least 20 minutes before they are neutralized. Chewing sugar-free gum helps fight cavities because the chewing motion stimulates the flow of saliva, which helps cleanse the teeth of the acids that eat away at enamel. In addition, if the sugar-free gum contains xylitol, it’s even more effective in fighting cavities. Xylitol inhibits the growth of the oral bacteria in plaque that cause cavities.

2. Use fluoride to fight cavities.

The use of fluoride has been demonstrated to dramatically reduce the damage caused by tooth decay. The most common ways to use fluoride for cavity prevention are by using fluoridated toothpaste and by drinking fluoridated water.

Children should brush at least twice a day for two minutes with a small amount of fluoridated toothpaste and rinse with a fluoridated mouth rinse. Fluoride treatments, applied directly onto teeth, are also available in any dentist's office.

Fluoridated water generally is delivered through a community’s water supply. If your area does not have fluoridated water, consider buying fluoridated bottled water or asking your dentist for fluoride supplements for your children.

3. Teach your child to eat all foods in moderation.

Although sweets are blamed for much tooth decay, all foods — even healthy alternatives to candy, such as fruit and nuts — can promote tooth decay if eaten in excess. Children (like adults) should eat all foods in moderation. Read nutrition labels to avoid foods and drinks loaded with sugar, corn syrup, fructose and other sweeteners.

4. Take time during Halloween to brush up on your child’s oral health habits.

What better time than Halloween to treat your kids to a little reminder about the importance of healthy teeth and gums?

Just a quick reminder of the importance of brushing, flossing and visiting the dentist is all that’s needed to help your child understand the importance of oral health. Treat your child to a special, new toothbrush and some flavored floss to reinforce the habit of proper dental care.

5. Set up a candy bank.

Rather than allowing your child to decide how much candy to eat, allow your child to make a daily withdrawal from a “candy bank” and monitor the progress. This way, you can control how much candy your child consumes. And remember, because acids formed from sugars continue to affect the teeth for at least 20 minutes eating, having a big treat once a day and then brushing your teeth afterward is better than many smaller treats throughout the day.

Source:
Information courtesy of the Academy of General Dentistry

Additional resources:
Bottled water: Cause for cavity comeback?
Caring for children’s teeth
Fluoridated water