How to Help Your Kid’s Teeth Have a Happy Halloween!
Halloween weekend will soon be upon us! Tomorrow night, children will be dressing up in their spookiest costumes and going from door to door in search of sweet treats. Halloween is a fun time for children but for their teeth, it is often the scariest night of the year. Is it possible to keep your teeth happy at Halloween?
As a parent, you’re probably well aware of how exciting Halloween is for kids. But do you get the heebie-jeebies when you think of the tricks those treats are playing on your children’s teeth? Don’t panic! There are ways to look after your children’s teeth and still keep them happy during the frightening festivities.
Today’s western diet contains a lot of starch and sugars that create plaque to make tooth-attacking acids. An attack of 20 minutes or more can lead to cavities.
This means the best way to keep children’s teeth happy this Halloween is to let your little goblins only eat sweets at mealtimes rather than as a snack. If your child is guzzling sweets every few minutes, the acid attack will be sustained for a longer period of time.
You could also allow snacking just after trick or treating, and then store the rest of the goodies for a later day to avoid over-indulgence.
Another option is to conjure up tooth-friendly Halloween snacks. If you can, avoid sticky foods as these take longer to clear from the mouth, meaning a longer attack. Where possible, choose sugar free sweets and lollipops, or opt for chocolate as it melts quickly and doesn’t tend to stick to teeth.
Remember – denying children Halloween sweets will only make them want them more. Excellent dental health relies on more than diet. Good oral hygiene practice is essential, so it’s important to ensure your child brushes and flosses every day to keep those creepy cavities at bay!
Snacks should only be served once or twice a day as part of a healthy, balanced diet. Healthy ideas for snacks include chocolate milk, peanut butter sandwiches, vegetable sticks, yoghurt and cheese.
Happy Halloween!
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