With these tips from Hallock Family Dental in Texas, expect to learn how to keep your smile bright and healthy without sacrificing any of the fun of Halloween candy.
How Does Sugar Cause Cavities?
If you’re wondering if you are more likely to get cavities because of Halloween, you should know that sugar consumption has a direct connection to tooth decay and cavities. Sugar left on the surface of teeth gets consumed by a certain kind of bacteria that produces acid as it digests sugar. These acids are harmful to teeth and can erode tooth enamel. When there is a permanent hole in teeth due to erosion from acids, this is called tooth decay or cavities.
While you might be concerned about making sure your kids should watch their sugar intake, you might also like to know that a study found that over 90% of adults in the United States have had one or more cavities in their permanent teeth. As concerned as you might be concerned about your children’s dental health during Halloween, don’t forget to take care of yourself as well. Here are some ways for you to keep everyone’s smile healthy, even as we look forward to cookies, cakes, and trick-or-treating.
How Can My Family Keep Our Teeth Healthy During Halloween?
1. Strategize Your Candy Sessions
2. Continue Your Regular Brushing And Flossing Routine
3. Remember To Visit The Dentist Every 6 Months
1. Strategize Your Candy Sessions
There’s no such thing as taking your dental health too seriously. Your dental wellness can have an impact on the health of the rest of your body. With that in mind, here are some strategies to apply for the Halloween festivities.
- Pick and choose which candies to eat. Everyone can agree it’s fun to get as much candy as possible, but you shouldn’t worry about wasting candy you don’t particularly like. Trade it, or give it away, so that you can make whatever candy and sugary treats you do eat count.
- Consider chocolate bars. This is good news for chocolate lovers. Chocolate (without filling such as nougat or caramel) is not as likely to stick to your teeth as hard candy or gummies.
- Set a scheduled time for candy instead of snacking sporadically. The kids will definitely love Candy Time, but it might seem silly to adults. However, a designated time to eat candy is a good choice. If you or the kids nibble on candy regularly throughout the day without limits, you run the risk of creating a sugar-dense environment for the bacteria in your mouths that cause cavities to thrive. When your sugar intake is not as consistent, you can give your mouth’s natural saliva production a chance to help regulate things.
- Make candy an after-meal dessert. Your saliva production increases after a full meal, so if you wait until after lunch or dinner to enjoy your candy, your saliva can help wash away sugar and sticky residue.
- Drink plenty of water. Water is crucial to saliva production and keeping your body healthy. It also helps wash away bacteria, leftover food particles, and sugars. Consider swapping out any sugary drinks you regularly enjoy for another cup of water to help balance things out during the trick-or-treat season.
2. Continue Your Regular Brushing And Flossing Routine
Don’t forget to take care of yourself in the midst of all the fun. Brushing twice a day and flossing one or more times is a crucial part of your preventative dental care plan that you can take into your hands. The kids might get caught up in the Halloween fun or parties and get-togethers and movie marathons, but be sure they don’t fall asleep without brushing and flossing either.
3. Remember To Visit The Dentist Every 6 Months
As a general guideline, it’s recommended that everyone should visit their dentist twice a year, or once every 6 months. Don’t forget to keep scheduled appointments for you and the kids, even as there’s more to do during the fall and winter months.
Even if you’ve kept your kids and yourself safe from cavities, check-ups and professional cleanings from your dentist are still integral to your family’s health. For patients seeking a family dentist in Allen and McKinney, Texas, consider Hallock Family Dental. Hallock Family Dental has two locations to serve more families throughout Allen, McKinney, and the surrounding neighborhoods. To schedule an appointment for you, your spouse, or your children, call 972-390-7200 for the Allen location, or 972-547-1775 for the McKinney office.
