Five Tips for a Healthy Halloween

Oct 14, 2019

Ah, Halloween! Little ghouls and goblins are grinning at the prospect of a bag full of candy…while those poor souls responsible for their young fangs find nothing more frightening than impending pounds of sugar. Don’t let ghosts of cavities haunt you this year! The staff at Falmouth Dental Arts is here to help with Five Tips for a Tooth-Happy Halloween. 

 

1.  Who you gonna call? CandyBusters!  Candy = Sugar = Cavities. We’re all familiar with this equation! This year, consider removing the first variable and revamping your Halloween treat bowl to include a healthier selection. Sugar-free gum, individually-wrapped snack packages of fruits and veggies, cheese sticks, or individual on-the-go yogurt tubes are all fun, unexpected, and tooth-friendly pumpkin-fillers!

2. Stickier is Scarier. Even if you are handing out healthy Halloween snacks, it’s almost inevitable that you and your children will encounter candy this time of year. When choosing which sweets to indulge in, consider texture. Candies such as gummies or taffies adhere to the surface of your teeth with scary sticking power! This residue is a feast for the bad bacteria that cause cavities. Cut down on bacteria by choosing granular goodies like chocolate, which dissolve quickly from the tooth’s surface. 

 

3. Let’s Do the Time Warp! It’s enjoyable to savor your sweets, but the odds of developing a cavity increase the longer that a sugary substance is in your mouth. Hard candies like lollipops or suckers are prolonged sugar bombs for your teeth, causing massive dental destruction! Trading hard candies out for sweets such as chocolate limits sugar exposure and is a safer bet for your bite. 

4. Dessert Thriller By strategically timing your candy consumption to align with mealtimes, you’re not only getting a delicious dessert–you’re doing right by your teeth! As we learned in September’s blog post, saliva production increases when you eat, which allows for food residue and bacteria to be naturally washed away with every swallow. Your saliva production is in overdrive during mealtimes, which makes it primetime to pop in a few tasty treats for dessert. Don’t forget to sip water throughout your meal to assist your saliva in cleaning out your mouth. You’ll get the sweet ending your meal deserves, and your teeth will thank you! 

 

5. Brush Away the Boogey Man No matter how or when you consume your Halloween treats, don’t forget to brush twice a day (or more, should you sneak some candy in-between meal times)! Looking to make your daily dental regiment a little spookier this time of year? Turn up this kid-friendly Halloween playlist while you brush!

 

Does your little vampire have an appointment for their fangs with us on Thursday, October 31st? Kids are welcome to come to Halloween appointments in costume. If you have any questions, or to schedule your appointment, please call our office at 207.781.5900

Have your candy and eat it too! 5 tips to counteract candy consumption

Oct 31, 2013

Happy-HalloweenWe all know what it’s like to be a kid on Halloween. From the excitement of getting dressed up to the fun of touring the neighborhood for candy, Halloween is, for some, the event of the fall. We in the dental care industry often get the reputation of being the Scrooges of the Halloween season, but instead of telling you not to eat candy (we know you’ve heard it before) we wanted to provide you with a few ways to offset the issues that can come with eating candy:

 

1.) Moderation

The easiest way to avoid over-indulging on Halloween is to limit how much candy your kids eat. Whether you have them carry a smaller container or simply set a number of pieces allowed, moderation is vital to stopping cavities (and tummy-aches).

2.) Brush

Have your children brush their teeth shortly after they finish eating their candy. The less time sugar has to get to work on their teeth, the better.

3.) Floss

Going hand-in-hand with brushing after eating is, of course, is flossing. All those sweets will be squeezing its way in between teeth and getting in those spots that are difficult to brush, so flossing is essential in stopping sugar from settling in overnight.

4.) Eat before going out

Having dinner right before trick-or-treating can help cut down on snacking during the walk, which will allow you to keep better track of what your kids eat afterward.

5.) Avoid sticky, gooey candies

You know the kinds: Laffy Taffy, Starbursts, Skittles, etc. These types of candies are often loaded with sugar and are much harder to brush and floss away.

 

By following these easy tips, you can help your kids avoid cavities, tooth decay, and more. We hope you and your children to have a fun and safe Halloween!