Mount Royal Dentist on Halloween Candy
Talk to your Mount Royal dentist aboaut tips that let you enjoy your halloween treats while taking care of your teeth
With Halloween just around the corner, if you are not prepared to avoid the candy frenzy all together, you should talk to your Mount Royal dentist about his best tips to keep your teeth healthy while allowing you and your children to indulge in the sweet holiday.
The worst candy you can eat is sticky candy like taffy or caramel or candies with nuts or other hard fillings because they can stick in the grooves of your teeth. This causes bacteria to grow and eventually lead our teeth to produce cavity-causing acid. Hard candy too is just as bad because even though they don’t stick to your mouth, they take a long time to dissolve and cause you mouth to become more acidic. Hard candies can also break crowns off or they can break or pull out fillings.
It isn’t so much the sugar content of your Halloween candy as it is the way the sugar is deliver that determines how bad it is for you. When you decide it is time to indulge then do it all at once. Set boundaries about when to eat candy and plan it around snack or meal times and not in between. Plaque thrives on the acid that is produced by sugar so you eat sweets with other foods that increase saliva and break down the sugar quicker. Grazing is a terrible idea because it means that the sugar is in contact with your teeth too directly, for too long.
Of course for those of us giving out treats on the big night, there is also the preparations that start weeks ahead when you buy your bag or three of treats to have for the trick-or-treaters that make their way to your door. If you are like most of us, you eat the candy before the big day arrives then have to buy more which means that before the Halloween even arrives, the damage to your teeth is already done.
When you are planning what to give to young trick or treaters that come to your door opt for sugar free gum and candies. Sugar free gum will increase the saliva that is produced in your mouth and increased saliva will break down the sugars that cause plaque buildup. Some sugar free gum contains xylitol which will reduce plaque and decrease the occurrence of decay. You will also find chocolate and hard novelty candies made of xylitol that have all the great taste of their more sugary counterparts but are better for your healthy smile.
Other treats that you can give out instead of sugary sweets are stickers or glow sticks or plenty of other dollar store treats that will give kids hours more enjoyment than candy. Or simply give out healthier treats like fruit candy or granola bars.
After you eat your candy, the best way to protect your smile is to drink plenty of water to rinse the sugar residue from your mouth. You should also brush your teeth but wait at least a half hour because brushing right after you eat can lead to tooth abrasion. If you give your children a mouthwash made specifically for kids and that contains fluoride it will provide additional protection and prevent cavities.
Halloween is a fun time for children and a big part of the fun is eating the candy they spend all evening earning. If you follow these simple tips from your Mount Royal dentist, both you and your young trick or treaters will learn how to enjoy the scary holiday and learn something about a healthy smile at the same time.
