While parents love dressing up their kids, every child loves Halloween because of the sweet treats. If your child jumps for joy every trick-or-treat season, tooth decay is also around the corner. Candies and chocolates are high in sugar content that can lead your kid’s baby teeth to suffer from dental caries or tooth pain.
Tips to avoid tooth decay during Halloween
However, trick or treating should not end up with a toothache. Here are some tips for parents who want to protect their child’s teeth without spoiling the fun of Halloween.
- Monitor your kid’s tooth brushing habit and help them get into the routine of doing it 2 to 3 times a day. You can use a reward system to jumpstart their willingness to brush their teeth frequently.
- Make sure that your children use an age-appropriate fluoride mouthwash every evening.
- Have an extra disposable dental floss lying around the house. You will be surprised at what kids can do when they are bored.
- Avoid or limit candies such as caramels, candy corn, jelly beans, and taffy. These specific types of candy are extra sticky that can speed up the tooth decay process. The disease-causing bacteria release acids that can break down the tooth enamel, losing the minerals it needs to protect itself from bacteria. Thus, resulting in early tooth decay.
Sticky sweets also make it hard for the saliva to flush the sugar and starch from the chewing surfaces of teeth. Plus, cavity-causing bacteria love them too and propagate faster in the presence of sugar. - Prevent tooth decay by letting your kids try sugar-free gum in place of their usual sweet treats. It can help prevent cavities by neutralizing the saliva flow in the mouth and flush away food debris.
- Encourage your kids to visit the dentist regularly for teeth cleanings. Also, parents should avoid using the idea of going to the dentist to discipline their kids to help instill a habit than fear.
Let us work together to protect the teeth of your kids against tooth decay
Halloween is a fun holiday, and worrying about tooth decay should not keep you from enjoying it with your kids. Soft Touch Dental provides dental cleaning services in Florissant. You may schedule an appointment now and let us help your kids understand the value of oral health at an early age.
By practicing good oral hygiene and eating sweets in moderation, your kids can have a fun and safe Halloween free from the horrors of tooth decay.