Trick or Trivia! Bizarre and Spooky Dental Facts

Oct 30, 2018

Vampires and jack-o-lanterns and ghosts…oh my!  Halloween is upon us and that means candy and costumes.  While it’s always a good time to think about your dental health, Halloween is also a good time for dental trivia!  Why? Because we love these scary and fun facts more than all those sweet treats that get stuck in your teeth and cause cavities.  We decided to ask around the office for everyone’s favorite dental trivia to see if we can trick you this Halloween!

What is the hardest substance in the human body?
Tooth enamel is the hardest substance in the human body.  Wow!

How much of your life is devoted to brushing your teeth?
The average American spends 38.5 days brushing their teeth over the course of their lifetime.  Compare that to an average of  9,125 days spent sleeping and 188 days in the shower.

What’s the scariest Halloween candy?
Sour candy–it  has the same pH as battery acid.  Yikes!

Do we really eat that much candy at Halloween?
Yes!  A typical child’s bag of Halloween candy has 11,000 calories.  Also, if you laid out all the candy corn that’s sold each year, it would wrap around the earth 4.25 times.  That’s a lot of candy!

What does a vampire fear most?
Tooth decay!  Ok, so that was a joke, but did you know that people get vampire teeth implants?  Sorry, we do not offer this service at FDA.

Did we trick you?  We hope you have fun this Halloween!  Remember, to give your teeth a real treat this holiday and everyday by following these tips:

  • Avoid hard and sticky candies that linger in your mouth.  The longer sugar stays in your mouth, the more your teeth are at risk of tooth decay.
  • Eat candy shortly after meals when your mouth is already producing saliva.  This helps rinse out the sugars and bacteria.
  • Brush & floss your teeth twice a day.
  • Come in for regular check-ups!  Call us at 207.781.5900.

Happy Halloween from all of us at Falmouth Dental Arts!  

Image courtesy of: www.pinterest.com

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!