The Halloween Candy Dilemma – Simple Tips for a Healthy and Safe Halloween

Halloween is just around the corner, which for most children means a bag of free candy and tons of sweets. No surprise there, but as a parent, Halloween can also present with a variety of health and safety challenges. At Ark Dental Care, we would love to help you plan for a healthy and safe Halloween

Here are a few guidelines from the American Dental Association that can help.

• It is important to time it right – There is increased saliva production during meals. Eating candy during or shortly after meals helps cancel out acids produced by bacteria in your mouth and rinse away food particles.
• Snacking sugar in between meals can increase your risk of cavities, so avoid that.
• Choose your candy carefully. Hard candy and other sweets that stay in your mouth for a long time should be avoided. Aside from how often you snack, the length of time sugary food is in your mouth plays a role in tooth decay. Unless it is a sugar-free product, candies that stay in the mouth for a long period of time subject teeth to an increased risk for tooth decay.
• Sticky candies like taffy and gummy bears take longer to get washed away by saliva, increasing the risk for tooth decay. Those are better avoided.
• Pick your favorites and donate the rest – There are several organizations that help donate candies to the troops overseas – or check with your dentist to see if they have a candy buy-back program.
• Plenty of water intake will help – specially water that is fluoridated can help prevent tooth decay.
• Stay away from sugary beverages like soda, sports drinks and flavored waters – these increase the risk of tooth decay.
• Chewing sugarless gum for 20 minutes after meals helps reduce tooth decay, because increased saliva flow helps wash out food and neutralize the acid produced by bacteria.

• Posted in Dentist
• October 29th 2018