Halloween is a major holiday for candy lovers. That’s why it’s a favorite holiday among the biggest candy lovers of them all – children! Halloween is the one holiday when children can indulge in their favorite candies. They can also try new sweets and old sweets they’ve never had before.
When it comes to gobbling all types of sweet treats, Halloween is the perfect time to do so without guilt. Kids love the candy, but they’re not at all concerned with the health of their teeth. So it’s your job, as a parent, to make sure your child doesn’t go overboard and ruin their teeth.
It takes more than one night for tooth decay to develop. A child isn’t going to instantly get cavities if they spend all of Halloween eating Bon Bons, Wine Gums, Candy Corns, Jelly Babies, and other sweet treats. They will get a painful tummy ache, but not an instant mouthful of cavities. But Halloween candy starts making the rounds early in October. That means your child might end up with sweets every single night up until October 31st.
To keep your child’s teeth healthy, it’s important to practice dental hygiene at home. As long as you do this, your child’s teeth should survive Halloween. It helps to know a bit about the type of candy your child likes and how it affects their teeth.
For example, lollipops, chewy candy, and toffee stay in the mouth longer than other types of sweets. That means the child’s teeth receive more exposure to acids and sugars that can cause damage. These candies are also not the best for people who have braces.
You don’t want to ruin all the fun by refusing to let your child eat any sweets. But it’s certain that sweets such as Blackjacks, Toffee, Starburst, and similar treats aren’t good for the teeth. When buying Halloween candy, look for options that are less harmful to teeth. Perhaps there are sugar-free options for your child’s favorite candies. If sugar-free isn’t an option, choose candy that doesn’t take long to finish such as miniature candy bars.
If your child practices good oral care, then you actually don’t have to worry too much about Halloween. It’s true that too much sugar can cause cavities, decay, and lots of toothaches. But if your child brushes and flosses regularly, they shouldn’t suffer damage from a bit of Halloween indulgence.
Cavities and decay occur when a child eats too many sweets without taking care of their teeth. Brushing and flossing is the team that keeps cavities away. On Halloween night, and every night, make sure your child brushes and flosses immediately after eating sweet snacks.
If brushing and flossing isn’t an option, then let the child rinse their mouth with mouthwash or water that contains fluoride. Rinsing up to four times will flush sugar out of the mouth. It’s not as good as brushing and flossing, but it’s better than nothing. The goal is to reduce the amount of time your child’s teeth are exposed to sugar.
Children aren’t the only people who love Halloween candy. You’re the parent, but that doesn’t mean you can’t also splurge on sweets. Go ahead and have all the sweets you enjoyed as a child. After all, you’re never too old for a Lollipop Ring or Pixy Stik. Just remember to brush and floss when you’re done.
