It’s almost time for elaborate costumes, festive decorations, and pillowcases full of sweet treats. Trick-or-Treating can be one of the most fun activities for kids of all ages. I mean, think about it. Traveling about in a costume and getting candy, it’s a child’s dream! But it takes special care and consideration to ensure that a sweet-tooth dream doesn’t become a dental nightmare. Yikes.
Below are suggestions on how to maintain healthy teeth amid all the sugar.
Go Trick-or-Treating on a Full Stomach
This is one of the biggest tips on how to prevent sugar overload the first night of receiving candy. Kids will inevitably want to have a few pieces of their favorite treat while walking around neighborhoods, but going out on an empty stomach can lead to overeating on sweets. This leads to a two-fold consequence: gooey teeth and an upset stomach. Eating a full meal before beginning trick-or-treating can help eliminate the amount of candy consumed along with the door-to-door festivities.
Out of Sight, Out of Mind
Keeping all the Halloween candy out in an open area may seem like a great decor option, but it could lead to over consumption of sugary snacks throughout the day. Passing by a festive bowl can lead to grabbing one, two… maybe five pieces of candy at a time and forgetting to clean teeth afterward. Keeping the candy bowl out of sight allows for a more controlled “sweet treat” time.
Brush, Brush, Brush!
Just like any other time of the year, it’s important to maintain routine brushing in the morning and evening. When it comes to consuming an increase in sugar, increasing the number of times you brush your teeth isn’t a bad idea either. Remember, quality brushing takes a minimum of two minutes. O, yeah.
Worried the extra sweets have caused extra cavities? Contact Dr. Drew and Crew to set up an appointment today.
https://drdrewandcrew.com/contact/
520 S. 14th St.
Fort Smith, Arkansas 72901
479-242-3739