Halloween Tricks to Prevent Scary Teeth

The candy trick-or-treaters collect on Halloween doesn’t have to result in tooth decay. Halloween can be a frightening time for parents monitoring the amount of candy their children eat.

While we promote moderation, from a dental health perspective it is better to eat treats in one sitting, than for children to graze on them for days. Most parents want children to eat small amounts and save the rest for another day. In fact, each time we eat, we are exposing our teeth to attack from decay causing acids. So, the more often we eat, the more harmful it is for our teeth.

To better protect teeth, use treats as a dessert, eaten immediately after a meal instead of snacking throughout the day. At meals, the flow of saliva will help rinse away the sugars. Any "candy snacking" throughout the day should be followed by tooth brushing or when this isn't possible, rinsing with water or chewing sugarless gum.

When it comes to purchasing Halloween candy, not all treats are created equal. The trick is to avoid the worst offenders-the sticky, chewy, hard and crunchy. Better treats are low in sugar and won't stick to teeth or last long in the mouth.

Tooth friendly alternatives to candy include sugarless gum, tooth brushes, Halloween pencils, erasers and stickers, mini-sized toothpaste, peanuts, sunflower seeds, popcorn, gift certificates or items from dollar stores. Halloween novelties are just as much fun to receive.

Candy will always be a big part of Halloween fun. Taking extra precautions with the type of candy children are allowed to eat, watching when they eat and making sure they brush afterwards will help maintain healthy smiles. This will ensure the only scary teeth in your household remain part of a costume. Simply put, clean teeth means health teeth!

For more information contact the Grey Bruce Health Unit, in the Owen Sound area (519) 376-9420, 1-800-263-3456; in the Walkerton area (519) 881-1920, or visit our web site at www.publichealthgreybruce.on.ca .

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