Halloween is right around the corner again. Let’s face it. Who doesn’t like Halloween? Halloween is one of the best holidays for young children. It is a fun time of year where you can dress up and get truckloads of candy. Smiles of Round Lake dentists and support staff care deeply about our littlest patients’ oral health. We know you, as parents do as well. Smiles of Round Lake has prepared some helpful tips to keep everyone’s teeth healthy this Halloween.
Balanced meal before trick-or-treating
Before you head out trick-or-treating, make sure to eat a well-balanced meal. Eating something prior will limit your need to fill up on empty calories from the candy.
Drink Plenty of Water
Family dentists always recommend we drink water as much as possible. Partly because sugars from juices, sodas, and other sugary drinks are terrible for little teeth. You might not be aware of water helping to rinse the mouth clean of bacteria and sugars. If your tap water is fluoridated, this can also help to prevent tooth decay.
Set Reasonable Limits
Don’t let your child eat Halloween candy whenever they want for long periods. Set a time for them to eat candy. The best time preferably is right after a meal. Why after a meal? After a meal is a timeframe when they have the most saliva in their mouth to assist with rinsing away the leftover debris and sugar.
Avoid chewy and sour candies
Chewy candies always find a way to get in the nooks and crevices between our teeth. This makes it near impossible to wash away. The other downside is that Carmel and gummy candies can also dislodge crowns, fillings, space maintainers, and orthodontic appliances. Sour candy raises the pH level in your mouth which is not good for your teeth and gums. The more sour something is the higher the acidity level. This can lead to damaging the enamel of your teeth too even wearing them away. Once enamel is gone it can never be replaced.
Encourage Good Oral Hygiene Habits
On Halloween night and days to come after, you might need to do some extra supervision of brushing and flossing. Whenever they want to eat their stash of candy have them agree to brush afterward.
Chewing sugar-free gum
Sugarless gum is a great treat to have after meals. This helps reduce tooth decay because of the saliva flow. Saliva flow in your mouth neutralizes the acid produced from bacteria.
Routine dental checkups?
Has it been a while since your child has had a checkup from your family dentist? These preventive visits are one of the key ways to avoid your child from having cavities and minimize the major dental work down the road. Smiles of Round Lake is available to answer any questions you might have about your teeth. Please call 847-546-1542 to schedule your next checkup or visit with us.