Dental Cavities and Halloween

Halloween is right around the corner, which means your kids will soon be trick or treating their way into bag fulls of delicious candy. Unfortunately too much candy can cause some major problems with their teeth, which lead to painful cavities as a result. Here are some ways you can help your kids from getting tricked into cavities during this holiday season. First separate the candies into two piles. For the first pile, gather everything that’s chewy, sticky, or hard. This would include Twizzlers, Swedish Fish, Sour Patch Kids, Warheads, etc. These types of candies are the most harmful for your teeth because their sticky nature makes the sugar adhere to the teeth for long periods of time. This adhesion gives the bacteria in your mouth an extended period in which they can eat away enamel on the teeth. Avoid this pile altogether if you can! Now you have a second pile of chocolates, chips, and other treats that can be considered the ‘safe’ pile. These candies do not contain as much sticky substrates and allow the sugar to be rinsed away much easier. Because of this they are gentler on the teeth. But before you tear into your pile of safe treats, there are still some things to think about. Cavities grow fastest in a continuously sugar-rich environment, so eating several candies all at once is a bit better than eating those same candies spread throughout the day, because it limits the time of exposure your teeth have to sugar. It also helps to have a toothbrush and floss on hand to get all the sugary bits from in between your teeth. And last but not least, visit your dentist every 6 months for a dental exam and x-rays to keep those pearly whites at their healthiest!