With Ghosts and Goblins Soon to Come, Don't Let Cavities Follow

With all the little monsters and gremlins running around on Halloween night, be careful of the ones that run between your teeth. Learn which treats are best for your teeth and tips to reduce your risk of cavities.

 

Beware of the Mouth Monsters’ Favorite Treats!

After a night of candy collecting, kids love to dive into their stash and begin sorting. Before they get started, remember that not all sweet treats impact teeth in the same way. Download the grid below to help guide kids towards more tooth-friendly treats through sorting goodies according to which are best and worst for your kids’ pearly whites, including:

Finally, for those who are passing out tricks and treats, remember non-food favorites like temporary tattoos, stickers and glow-sticks are great alternatives.

Swish and Brush!

Let’s face it – most kids don’t look forward to Halloween for the sugar-free gum and dark chocolate. And that’s ok! If kids are indulging in any kind of candy, ensure they drink plenty of water after eating the treat. Encourage them to swish the water around in the mouth to help dislodge particles that can get stuck and encourage the Mouth Monsters to latch onto tiny teeth.
And whatever you do, don’t let your young ones go to bed before brushing and flossing if all sides of a tooth cannot be cleaned by brushing alone. It’s a busy, exciting time, but as is the case with every other day of the year, kids should brush their teeth for at least 2 minutes, twice a day.

Set a Limit!

Set the number of treats that your child can keep – you may even want to select a number they can keep from each of the three categories of the sorting grid – and encourage them to sell the rest to a local dentist candy buy-back program. Another option is a visit from the Halloween Fairy who comes in the night and takes extra candy.

What are your favorite candy limiting tips?

Originally posted by the AAPD.