How to look after your child’s teeth this Halloween
The freaky fancy-dress holiday of Halloween is upon us! With spooky parties chock-full of creepy-looking mini desserts and classic trick-or-treating on All Hallow’s Eve itself, it seems like everything this time of year is based on sugar. It’s no wonder children get so excited for this one, but we’re here to tell parents there’s no need to be afraid for their gnashers as long as you follow some basic dental care tips from us at AP Smilecare. We cover a wide range of dental treatments and provide top-quality services in every department from emergency dental care and deep cleaning for gum health, to braces and teeth whitening.
Brushing
The number one tip from every dentist is simply to keep up with a regular schedule of teeth brushing: once in the morning and again one other time in the day. When consuming a lot of sugar it is recommended to brush afterwards to keep sugar-loving bacteria from causing cavities, so this is a great way to protect your children’s teeth at Halloween without cutting out sweet things entirely. If they are under the age of seven then supervision when brushing is recommended so they cover all those hard-to-reach places.
Healthier treats
With thousands of ideas for healthy Halloween baking and party food recipes online and throughout social media, there’s no lack of inspiration for creating amusing and not-so-scary treats.
Fruits are a great way to incorporate vitamins into your child’s diet but remember these can still be quite acidic, and therefore cause tooth decay when eaten in abundance. Some healthier Halloween-style options are chocolate-covered apples instead of sticky toffee ones, banana ghosts with raisins for eyes and candied nuts. Just remember to brush afterwards as they are still very sugary which of course, contributes to tooth decay.
Keep sticky or sour treats to a minimum
Sticky sweets like caramel, fudge and toffee are the worst offenders for causing cavities, adhering to teeth like glue and becoming a breeding ground for bacteria. Along with these sticky monstrosities, sour sweets are extremely acidic which breaks down tooth enamel – bad news for dental health. Try to keep these to a minimum for your child over the Halloween period.
Dish out the sweets over time
Keep your little monsters enjoying the spoils of their trick-or-treating bonanza for longer than one day by letting them choose a few to enjoy after each meal over a few days (or weeks!). Less sugar, of course, means less damage to teeth and consuming sweet things after a nutritious meal will lower their consumption naturally too.
Buy a spooky-themed toothbrush
The last trick up our sleeve is this: grab a cute Halloween toothbrush from your local supermarket or online. Kids love quirky little novelties and this will encourage them to spend more time brushing as well as get them to willingly brush more frequently i.e. after eating copious amounts of sugary treats.
Spooky season is a real treat for children and making responsible decisions about their dental health shouldn’t impact the fun. With these tips everyone can indulge their sweet tooth – just keep up with your child’s regular oral hygiene routine as well as some extra brushing after sugary treats so those bacteria don’t pull any tricks. Happy Halloween!
Here at AP Smilecare, we pride ourselves on our friendly, caring and patient-focused approach to dentistry. We’ll take the time to get to know you in order to find out exactly what dental treatments and approaches you’d benefit from the most. Book in with our team by calling us on 01254 297 000 – we look forward to seeing you!