Cavities are enough to make anyone cringe, but making them a part of your Halloween fright will only ruin your fun-filled evening. Sugar consumption in moderation can be acceptable for your dental health and overall diet, but there are other helpful tips to keep teeth healthy during Halloween.
Say “Boo” to Hard Candies
Not just hard candies, but sticky or gummy candy needs to be donated or traded before it ever hits the bottom of your treat bag. These types of sweets linger on the surface of and in between your teeth. Even brushing and flossing does not clean out every grain of sugar that has lodged itself somewhere between a tooth and gumline. In addition, hard candies do not dissolve quickly, which means they remain in your mouth for hours even after brushing, leading to tooth decay.
Instead, ‘stick’ to chocolates that quickly dissolve in your mouth and are washed away easily with a drink of water and your routine dental regimen. The less time sugar stays on your teeth, the better! It is essential to choose caramel-free chocolate, as caramel can also linger on your enamel and be hard to pick out of your teeth. Some of our favorites are:
- Dove Milk Chocolate
- Mini Hershey Bars (with or without nuts)
- Kit-Kat Bars
Don’t Be a Candy Grazer
You know the type of people we are referring to; the people who grab a piece of candy every time they walk by the desk or table or the cousin who never fills a plate of food but comes back to grab an hors d’oeuvre every five minutes. This kind of snacking is not only terrible for your diet, but it will also wreak havoc on your teeth. So when you want to keep your teeth healthy during Halloween, choose a specific time to sit down and eat one or two pieces of candy. Dentists recommend you eat your candy sometime after mealtime, rather than grazing on candy multiple times every day. The excess saliva from eating your meal will also help wash away the sugar that can congregate on your teeth.
‘Stick’ to Your Dental Routine
The only thing that needs to be ‘sticky’ this Halloween is your dental routine. Stick to this year-round to ensure your dental health. Even if you give in to temptation on Halloween and eat a lawbreaker or chew some gum, you can rest easy knowing you take care of your teeth the rest of the 364 days of the year. In addition, the American Dental Association recommends that you schedule a dental cleaning or exam with your dentist twice each year. Of course, if you have questions about your oral health or you want additional tips on keeping your teeth healthy during Halloween, don’t hesitate to get in touch with us. Any of our dental providers would be thrilled to create a specific plan for your dental needs.
If you do go out trick or treating this year, please do so safely. Happy Halloween from our team at Lone Tree Modern Dental & Orthodontics!