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Halloween is associated with costumes, parties, and of course, trick-or-treating! No Halloween celebration is complete without lots of sweeties. It is certainly a time for kids and parents alike to indulge their sweet tooth and enjoy sugary snacks. While that is all part of the fun, there have been some alarm bells raised in relation to oral health. It is important to protect oral health for children and adults alike, especially during back-to-school time of year. With that in mind, I have four simple ways you can protect oral health this Halloween.
Pick the Best Time to Have Sweets
It is hard to know as a parent if it is best to let the kids eat several sweets at once or to spread them out one at a time. So here is some advice from the Oral Health Foundation...
Chief Executive of the Oral Health Foundation, Dr Nigel Carter OBE, says: “It is better for children to eat sugary foods all together, rather than to spread eating them out over a few hours. Of course, we want children to enjoy themselves at Halloween, but there is a very real need for parents to moderate their child’s sweet consumption.
“The trick is to find a middle ground. If you want to give your child the odd sugary treat it is best kept for mealtimes and they need to keep up their regular dental health routine.
“Every time we eat or drink anything sugary, our teeth come under an acid attack for up to one hour. Saliva plays a major role in neutralizing the acid in the mouth, although it takes up to an hour for the acidity levels in the mouth to be neutralized. If sweets are constantly being eaten, your teeth and mouth are constantly under attack and do not get the chance to recover. That is why one of our key messages is to cut down on how much and how often you have sugary foods and drinks.”
Chew Gum to Prevent Cavities
It isn't realistic to have the kids brush their teeth after every piece of candy, especially when you are out and about. Rather, enjoyable habits like chewing sugar-free gum after eating sugary snacks could go a long way toward securing kids' mouths against plaque and bacteria.
The Oral Health Foundation says that by activating and increasing the flow of saliva, chewing sugarless gum helps reduce plaque acid, strengthen teeth, and reduce tooth decay. Chewing sugar-free gum even shows similar benefits to cavity prevention as brushing with fluoride toothpaste.
Eat a Nutritious Meal before Trick or Treating
Because there will be sugary snacks coming soon, it makes sense to have a good, nutritious meal before heading out trick-or-treating. It is healthier for the body and teeth alike to have that wholesome food in the system, as recommended by a dentist in Stockton CA. And it will help the children to feel more full and be less drawn to eat more sweets than you'd like them to.
Moderation
Moderation is also really important when it comes to sweets. It's not only important when the children eat sweets but how much they have is also really important. You don't want to overload them with too much at once or over the coming weeks.
Ways you can moderate the consumption level:
Go to fewer houses so there are fewer sweets.
Portion a certain amount out for the kids to have over a set amount of time.
Donate the rest.
If you put these tips into practice, you will have a fun Halloween while also keeping your teeth in mind. Happy Halloween!!
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