When maintaining consistent oral health, or simply avoiding a dental emergency, it’s important to know how to be smart when it comes to enjoying this sweet and scary time of year.
What to know about Your Halloween Sweet Treats
Chocolate
It’s no surprise that chocolate would be a safe bet on Halloween. It’s easily the most popular candy option, and great way to avoid chipped teeth or decay. It comes clean off when you brush, and dark chocolate even has some health benefits along with less sugar.
These alternatives to conventional sweets can provide a boost in your oral health. Sugar-free gums can work to remove particles of food and plaque from in between your teeth, reducing a risk of cavities, and sugar-free lollipops and other hard candies can encourage an increase in saliva, which can help to maintain strong teeth.
Sticky Candy
Be careful around candy that tends to remain in your mouth longer. This includes taffy and gummy candies. They can get stuck in between your teeth and become difficult to brush away. The result is bacteria has a greater opportunity to take root, doing damage to your gums and creating tooth decay.
Sour Treats
If it makes you pucker up, chances are it isn’t helping your teeth or gums. The acids that make them so wincing can create erosion on the surface of your teeth. If you do partake in candies like Warheads or Sour Patch Kids, wait at least half an hour after eating to brush your teeth. This lets the acids dissolve to prevent them from being spread throughout the rest of your mouth.
Avoiding Dental Emergencies
Statistics show that emergency dental visits are more prevalent on Halloween than any other day of the year, especially for children. Many of these involve chipped or broken teeth from biting down on hard candy meant to dissolve over time.
For parents to sidestep these issues, always be aware of what is in your child’s Halloween bucket. Try to wait until after the trick-or-treating has concluded before letting them dig into their haul, so that you can keep an eye on what they are chowing down on.
Halloween is a fun holiday for the whole family, and it’s best spent with the knowledge that your teeth are going to remain in great shape at the end of the night. Happy Halloween from all of us at River Oak Dental, Palm Bay, FL!
