Sugar Consumption on Halloween is Very Scary
Nearly as scary as a monster on Halloween that comes out from the graveyard, or jumps out of you from under your bed, there is one monster that’s real. It’s the sugar monster. Parents and dentists alike fear this monster. Each year there are numerous non profit organisations whose goal it is to educate parents about the damaging effects of sugar consumption on their children’s oral health. One of the most common diseases of childhood, recurring sugar consumption promotes dental caries that can lead to poor nutrition and developmental problems.
In the U.S. alone, nearly fifty-one million hours of school time are lost annually. By using common sense, this problem can be solved. Go through your child’s Halloween candy bag and remove all sticky candies and snacks that will stick to their teeth for a prolonged period of time. Do not allow your children to keep going back to their candy bag. You can let them eat candy and get their fill of it, and then brush their teeth. Only allow them to eat their candy during scheduled time, such as following mealtime, so that they are not eating their candy throughout the day.
Every time your children eat a piece of candy, the consumed sugar feeds the bacteria in their mouth that produces acid. This acid will demineralise their teeth over time and cause cavities. If they are constantly eating sugar, the saliva’s pH will remain acidic, hence more demineralization. If your children only eat candy once or twice a day, their saliva’s pH will neutralize, and give their teeth a chance to remineralise. So, limit your children’s sugar intake throughout the day!
