Halloween is just around the corner, which means candy is free and accessible everywhere during trick or treating, especially to children.
Not to mention, this season is also a tempting holiday for adults to eat sweets.
There are tons of scary things during Halloween. However, getting cavities shouldn’t be one of them!
Children can still experience the fun in the Halloween dress-up and having the trick or treat.
As adults, we can still manage and minimize the risk of the trick-or-treat candies harming kids’ teeth and ours.
So here are the 7 tips on how to keep your teeth healthy during Halloween.
1. Drink more water
Beside the existing positive health benefits of drinking water, water helps rinse away the sugar from the candies that would cling to your teeth. Since sugar makes your ph levels unbalanced, water helps balance out the pH levels in your mouth.
2. Stay away from chewy, sticky, and sour candy
Sticky candies like caramels or gummy bears usually get stuck on your teeth and take longer to be washed away by saliva.
This candy is difficult to remove even when regularly brushing and flossing.
They can also remain on the teeth for prolonged periods, leading to tooth decay.
Also, sour candies consumed regularly can increase tooth sensitivity and cavities frequency caused by the acid in sour candy.
3. Avoid eating hard candies
As much as possible, it is advisable to think twice before eating hard candies and other sweets that take longer time to dissolve in your mouth.
The longer it dissolves, the more time the sugar will get coated in your teeth. It gives enough time for bacteria to turn that sugar into acid leads to cavities.
Try sugar-free products instead. There are tons of sugar-free products in the market as an alternative to sticky and hard candies.
4. Chew sugarless gum
Did you know that chewing sugar-free gum can help increase your saliva flow and helps wash away bacteria from your mouth after eating candy?
It also neutralizes the acid produced by plaque bacteria in your mouth that causes tooth cavities.
Studies also show that chewing sugar-free gum for 20 minutes after meals helps reduce the risk of tooth decay.
So Instead of eating candy, consider chewing sugarless gum.
5. Refrain from beverages that contain sugar
When your teeth come in contact with sweetened beverages frequently, the chances of tooth decay will increase. So it is better to drink fluoridated water to help prevent tooth decay while washing away the candy residue from your teeth.
6. Brush your teeth after eating candy
Brushing is still the best way to keep your teeth cavity-free.
You can encourage your child to brush their teeth right after eating candy to remove the harmful bacteria in their teeth.
Even after the Halloween season, brush your teeth twice a day for two minutes with fluoride toothpaste.
Don’t forget that every three or four months, replace your toothbrush if the teeth bristles start to wear out.
7. Use moderation and eat candy with meals
Whether you are a kid or an adult, candies can be hard to resist, especially the effort of getting them from trick or treating.
If you can, try eating a few candies during or after mealtime.
The reason is that during meals, your saliva production increases.
It helps eliminate acids produced by bacteria in your mouth and helps wash away food particles.
Tooth For Thought
Halloween is a great time to enjoy this season despite age.
However, don’t let the fun fizzle out because cavities from eating sweets can get in your way.
We hope our seven simple tips will help you keep your teeth healthy during Halloween.
So you can have a healthy and joyful smile before and after this festive season. If you want to ensure your or your child’s oral health after this Halloween season, reserve a dental appointment here.
