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.
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!
Love at first bite with chocolate
Chocolates are by far the best options for your fangs when it comes to candy! Chocolate unlike hard, sticky and sour candy 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!
Want to take it one step further? Dark chocolate is amongst one of the healthiest sweets on offer and contains barely any sugar!
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.
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.
Sour sweets
Sour candy is spooky business as 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.
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!
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 treat 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!
As your little monsters will already be indulging in enough sweet treats, beware of sugary beverages such as juice and soft drink! H2O is the best option to sip on while eating something sugary as help’s wash away residual food and sugars from your little one’s teeth lowering the risk.
For the stay-at-home crew
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!
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 local Maven Dental dentist today!