Keeping Kids’ Teeth Safe From Sugary Sweets This Halloween

From school parties and trick-or-treating to gifts from friends and harvest festivals, Halloween is all about candy and fun activities. You might find it difficult or even impossible to keep your little ones from sugary sweets during this holiday season. Fortunately, there are ways to limit the consumption of sugary sweets to help keep your kids’ teeth healthy.

Promoting Both Fun and Teeth Healthy During Halloween

For kids, this is a fun holiday full of excitement and memories. But if parents are not careful, it can easily turn into an oral health nightmare. When planning to get the most awesome costume for Halloween, dental health may be the last thing on your mind. However, it is something that should feature prominently on your mind, especially if you are a parent. 

Just because you are promoting good oral health does not mean you are taking the fun out of this holiday. It will provide you with a great opportunity to teach your kids good oral health habits and reinforce those habits for life. Furthermore, you can do so without depriving your little ones of all the fun and treats.

Tips to Keep Your Kids’ Teeth Healthy This Candy-Filled Holiday

• Moderation

The key to teeth health during Halloween is to enjoy your candy in moderation. Thus, let your kids enjoy some Halloween candy and have some memorable fun. Whether it is from parties, church, school, or trick-or-treating, kids can accumulate a surprisingly huge amount of candy this holiday season.

Candy is fun and delicious, and kids should enjoy it occasionally. But as a parent, you need to set limits. If you have younger kids, you should put all the treats they accumulate in a basket. Afterward, let them pick out their favorite types of candy. After they do so, tell them that they can only have one piece of candy after dinner or after completing a chore.

• Look at the Haul

When your kids return from a Halloween party or trick-or-treating, the first thing you need to do is inspect the loot. While you check their bags for choking hazards, potential allergens, tampered candy wrappers, and other dangers, distract them with a piece or two of candy to enjoy.

• Allow Them to Eat Candy Around or During Mealtimes

It might sound somewhat gross to eat Halloween candy shortly after mealtime or even with meals. But as you eat food, you tend to produce more saliva, which can help neutralize the acids produced by oral bacteria. Increased saliva production can also rinse away some food and candy particles.

• Avoid Sugary Sweets That Stick to Teeth

Candies such as taffy and gummy bears tend to stick to teeth. This makes it difficult for kids to brush them away. Consequently, they can stay on your kids’ teeth for longer periods, which can lead to tooth decay. Encourage your little ones to go for melt-in-the-mouth sweets such as lollipops.

Other ways to keep your kids’ teeth safe this Halloween season include:

• Encourage them to drink more fluoridated water to prevent tooth decay and keep their teeth healthy and strong.
• Ensure that they brush and floss their teeth after every meal, especially when they consume candy.
• Take your kids to the dentist after Halloween. The dentist will address any possible issue that slipped through the cracks.

For more on keeping your child’s teeth safe from sugary sweets this Halloween, visit Fort Worth Children’s Dentistry at our office in Fort Worth, Texas. You can call 817-569-6633 today to schedule an appointment.