Wellness Tips | 25 October, 2022

Getting Ready For a Healthy Halloween

Trick or teeth! Halloween is one of the most exciting holidays for our children though, it can certainly play some nasty tricks on their teeth!

At Maven Dental, we don’t discourage anyone from treating their sweet tooth this spooky season however, we want to help make Halloween not so scary for parents who care about their children’s oral health.

Choose Treats Wisely

While sugary treats in general aren’t good for your teeth, the good news is some sweets are less damaging to your dental health and can be enjoyed in moderation!

Tooth-friendly treats

Love at first bite with chocolate

Chocolates are by far the best options for your fangs when it comes to candy! Unlike hard, sticky, and sour candy, chocolate dissolves quickly and doesn’t stick to your teeth for hours at a time. It’s easy to rinse from your mouth or even rub off with your tongue!

If that wasn’t enticing enough, Dark chocolate is amongst one of the healthiest sweets on offer and contains barely any sugar – so you can indulge with less guilt (and protect your teeth)!

Mavenhalloween 1000X667

Sugar free treats

Since sugar is the number one enemy, why not opt for sugar-free candies? Sugar free candy can increase saliva production which washes your mouth clean of bacteria and plaque.

Tricks on your teeth

Avoid sticky situations

Sticky candy such as skittles, gummy bears and caramels can cling to your teeth and take longer to get washed away by saliva, increasing the risk of tooth decay.

If you have orthodontic appliances such as braces, or fillings and crowns, then sticky candy is a big no-go as it can get stuck and break appliances, pull out fillings and crowns, and even fracture teeth!

Sour sweets

Sour candy is spooky business as it contains high levels of acidity that causes damage to the enamel on your children’s teeth. Enamel protects our teeth from decay, discolouration, and sensitivity, and once it’s gone, it cannot be restored!

Beware of hard candy

Hard candy like toffee is bad for our teeth due to the amount of time that it takes to suck the candy before it dissolves. Your child’s teeth will be swimming in a pool of sugar for an extended period.

Even spookier, little teeth biting down on hard candy can lead to tooth chips, cracks, and other damage.

Trick or Treater Tips

Aside from choosing your candy wisely, here are some of our other tips to have a healthy Halloween and keep you and your kid’s teeth in tip top shape.

 

Time your Treats

Managing your children’s treasure trove of candy once you return from trick or treating is important. It probably seems like ‘witchful’ thinking however, it’s a great idea to combine sweet treats with mealtime instead of snacking or grazing throughout the day. During mealtime, little mouths produce plenty of saliva which helps cancel out acids in the mouth, helping promote healthy teeth.

Drinking Water is so good, It's Scary!

As your little monsters will already be indulging in enough sweet treats, beware of sugary beverages such as juice and soft drinks. Water is the best option to hydrate little mouths -especially while eating sugary treats- and has the added benefit of washing away residual food and sugars from your child’s mouth to help prevent cavities from forming.

Stay on top of your brushing

Don’t get tricked by cavities! After mealtime, especially when sugary and sticky treats like candy are involved, it’s a good habit to brush your teeth for at least two minutes to help prevent cavities and remove sugary residue.

Try other treats

Why not avoid giving out candy all together? These fang-tastic, non-candy Halloween treats are just as fun as sweets and are guaranteed to last long after the costumes come off while keeping your teeth out of harm’s way

  • Glow sticks
  • Stickers
  • Temporary tattoos
  • Bouncy balls

Tips For Excess Candy

Afraid you’ll be dealing with an excess of Halloween treats well after the costumes are packed away? Post trick or treating, have your kids choose a few of their favourites before getting the rest out of sight!

  • Donate it
  • Save it for holiday time decorating! You might like to use it to decorate a gingerbread house for Christmas, include it in a birthday pinata or give it out with Valentine’s Day cards
  • Candy currency: “Buy back” candy from your child with money or tokens they can trade in for a fun activity

Have the Switch Witch pay a visit

The ‘switch witch’ is a concept that’s been increasing in popularity in recent years and can be a great way to incentivise giving up some of your kid’s candy hoard. The switch witch is a bit like the tooth fairy’s special Halloween helper, who visits the night after Halloween to take away some unwanted candy in exchange for a new toy, game, or book.

Have a Fab-boo-lous Halloween!

Halloween is a great time of year to educate and encourage good habits with your kiddos when it comes to their oral hygiene - by making sure your kids know the risks associated with eating too much sugar and not brushing and flossing enough.

Have no fear, now that you have these tips under your belt, you’ll be sure to have a fab-boo-lous Halloween! To ensure you don’t spook your dentist, ensure you keep up with your oral health routine at home and consider booking an appointment with your dentist today!