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Halloween is creeping up on us. Kids will dress up as mummies, monsters, and vampires, but they aren’t the only frightening thing lurking around on Halloween night – just look in your child’s candy bucket. Did you know that an average Jack o’ Lantern bucket will hold around 250 pieces of candy, which amounts to about 3 pounds of sugar? According to USA Today, 4% of all the candy eaten in a year in the US is consumed on Halloween day itself – that’s a lot of sugar!
Bacteria love sugar almost as much as your children, and this is why candy is one of the main sources of tooth decay in children. Unfortunately, studies have shown that 42% of kids aren’t concerned about eating too much candy, but only 44% brush twice daily. The Centers for Disease Control found that many kids consume up to around 3 cups worth of sugar on Halloween alone! Candy, in moderation, can be enjoyed responsibly as a fun treat, but there are several types of candy that can come back to haunt you:
- Hard candy poses the risk of breaking teeth if chewed, and sucking on it isn’t a better option because that means holding a source of sugar in your mouth for an extended amount of time. Better to just skip these – a cracked tooth is a nightmare.
- Sour candies not only contain a lot of sugar to feed the bacteria in your mouth, but they are also highly acidic, meaning they can harm our enamel as well. In fact, some candies have an acidity level similar to battery acid. Yikes!
- Sticky or gummy candy sticks to your teeth, feeding the bacteria and giving them a longer opportunity to attack the enamel.
We know many children count down the days till Halloween, so we don’t want to suggest you skip the sweets all together, but we have come up with some tips and ideas to help you and your family navigate this spooky season without jeopardizing on your oral health:
- Eat your candy with a meal, or right after one.
- When you’re eating a meal, your saliva increases. Saliva helps rinse away food particles and sugar from your teeth, and neutralizes the harmful acids in your mouth that cause cavities. If you eat candy with or right after a meal, sugar is less likely to cling to your teeth and cause decay.
- Set a limit and donate the rest of your leftover candy.
- Have your kids dump out their candy buckets and pick out their most favorite candies (trying to avoid the types mentioned above) and set a limit for how much candy they can keep. The rest of the candy you can donate to Halloween Candy Buy Back, through their website, or you could bring it to the office to share with coworkers.
- Consider alternatives to candy, or healthier versions.
- Halloween treats don’t always have to be candy. Temporary tattoos, stickers, glow sticks, vampire teeth, or keychains are all fun options to offer your kids. If your kids still really want to partake in candy, try sugar-free alternatives.
- Use this as a time to discuss oral health with your family.
- Halloween provides a great opportunity to discuss the importance of oral health with your family and explain to them why certain foods, like candy, can be detrimental to their teeth if not consumed sparingly. Teaching your kids that it’s ok to indulge every once in a while as long as they make healthy choices the majority of the time is a valuable lesson that will serve them well for the rest of their life.
- Maintain regular dental visits.
- This holiday is a great reminder that one of the best preventative measures you can take against tooth decay is maintaining your regular dental visits twice a year.
Call our office at Simply Smiles today, and we’d love to treat your little boys and ghouls and help educate them on how to enjoy Halloween responsibly!
Sources:
https://www.coastdental.com/blog/a-dentists-guide-to-halloween
https://www.perfectdental.com/dental-blog/dental-tips-healthy-halloween/
https://gothamdental.com/blog/managing-halloween
https://today.uconn.edu/2019/10/dentists-halloween-candy-may-come-back-haunt/
https://dentistryfortheentirefamily.com/10-halloween-dental-tips/
https://www.auroradentist.com/curbing-halloween-candy-intake-healthy-teeth/
https://www.drelstonwong.com/8-of-the-scariest-dental-facts-weve-ever-heard/