Five Simple Steps To Take Care of Your Kids’ Teeth This Halloween Season
Halloween is that spooky time of the year overloaded with spectacular tricks and sugary treats. Aside from ghosts and vampires, more spooky entities could haunt your household throughout October going by the names of tooth decay and dental cavities. We don’t want to discourage the appetite of a strong sweet tooth this time of the year, but how can you keep your children’s teeth safe and healthy while still allowing a bit of fun to happen? Here are some tips to take care of your kids’ teeth this Halloween season.
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Identify the Best and Worst Candies for Dental Health
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Oral bacteria love to feast on the sugar remaining in the mouth after eating. While it may sound strange to think that there are better candies for preserving oral health, some candies can wreak more havoc on your children’s teeth than others. Here are just some of the topmost offenders.
Sticky and Chewy Gummies
Small tidbits of these types of candies — which include gummy bears, gummy worms, and caramel taffy — can easily get stuck in the gaps and grooves of your kids’ teeth, making them difficult to rinse away.
Sour Candies
Sour candies contain high acidic content, which can strip away protective tooth enamel and increase the risk of tooth decay. Keep their consumption of products like Sour Patch and PixieStix in moderation.
Hard Candies
Hard candies increase the duration of time that teeth are exposed to sugars, which then increase the supply of leftovers that oral bacteria can feed on. Aside from this, biting on candies like lollipops or jawbreakers can also pose the risk of chipping a tooth.
Instead of these dental destroyers, why not try other alternatives like sugar-free candies and snack-sized morsels instead? These treats are much lower in sugar content and promote saliva production, which can help to neutralize acid levels in the mouth and dissolve food particles.
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Don’t Forget To Brush and Floss
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Halloween can be a busy time of the year for families that participate in trick-or-treating, but you need to make sure to remind your kids to regularly brush their teeth and floss thoroughly. Brushing and flossing are the most classic ways to prevent tooth decay. Making them a habit can help keep your children’s teeth safe and healthy.
After consuming sweet treats, make sure to wait at least 30 minutes before brushing to avoid damaging sensitive tooth enamel. Remember that it takes two minutes to clean the nooks and crannies of the mouth. Flossing after brushing ensures that remaining sticky plaque has been removed from the surface of your kids’ teeth.
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Keep Sweet Treats in Moderation
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Trick-or-treating sessions wouldn’t be complete with just the tricks; there has to be some treat involved! Still, make sure to set ground rules for your kids this Halloween. Have a specific schedule where they’re allowed to eat treats — whether it’s after meals or when they’re finished with their homework — to balance the amount of sugar they get in their system. Moderation is key in maintaining oral health!
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Drink Water Often
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Aside from keeping your kids hydrated and increasing their energy levels, drinking water can help to flush away remaining sugars within the mouth that bacteria can easily feed on. Remind your kids to drink water regularly to prevent frightening oral issues.
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Visit Your Pediatric Dentist Regularly
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Of course, any steps that you employ to take care of your kids’ teeth this Halloween will be greatly supplemented by a visit to your pediatric dentist. Regular check-ups and cleanings can ensure that hidden dental problems are addressed as soon as possible.
Contact Bay Area Kids Dentist for consultations from board certified pediatric dentists about your children’s teeth. This Halloween, we’ll make sure to drive away any terrifying tooth problems from your household