Just a mention of Halloween is enough to send shivers down the spine of most pediatric dentists. We all recognize this time of year as being a whole lot of fun but trick-or-treating can mean kids end up with enormous quantities of tooth damaging candy. Every year Americans spend around $9 billion on candy so it’s hardly surprising that tooth decay is such a major problem amongst our kids. While no one wants to spoil a child’s enjoyment of Halloween, there are things you can do to help moderate their exposure to large amounts of sugar at this time of year.
Why Sugar Is so Bad for Your Kid’s Teeth
Sugar is well known for causing kids cavities and much of the problem comes when teeth are exposed for prolonged lengths of time to sugar. The real issue with sugar is that it is the ideal food for bacteria in your child’s mouth. A ready source of sugar enables these bacteria to thrive and multiply and what’s even worse is that as they do so they create harmful acid (acid erosion). This acid will remove essential minerals from your child’s teeth, weakening their tooth enamel which has the effect of softening it and increasing the risk of tooth decay. As a parent or caregiver you can help your kid with tooth decay prevention by decreasing the amount of time sugar is able to come into contact with their teeth. Although this does mean limiting their consumption of sugar to a certain degree, it’s worth remembering that some candy is better than others.
Chocolate Candy – Best Halloween Candy
Particularly sticky or chewy candy is great for getting stuck in between teeth for prolonged length of time. This increases the exposure of your kid’s teeth to sugar, increasing the risk of cavities. In comparison, chocolate and other candy that dissolves quite quickly tends to be washed away more easily by saliva, having less of an effect on your child’s teeth, what can prevent tooth decay.
Top Tips to Prevent Tooth Decay
- Choose candy that will dissolve quite quickly, decreasing the amount of time sugar is in contact with your child’s teeth.
- Avoid candy that is particularly sticky, for example taffy, caramel and other candies.
- Limit the amount of sour candies they consume as these can contain citric acid, intensifying the effect of sugar and tooth enamel erosion.
- Encourage your child to eat a small amount of candy in one go. Get them to rinse their mouth with plain water soon after and encourage them to brush their teeth after waiting half an hour or so, allowing acidity levels in their mouth to normalize.
- Make sure your children have eaten a decent meal before they go trick-or-treating so they’ll be less inclined to snack on the way.
- Think about offering different non-edible treats for trick-or-treaters visiting your home, for example pens and pencils or coloring books. You could even get together with other parents to form a plan.
- Negotiate with your child to buy a certain amount of candy so they can still retain a small amount but will end up with cash to buy something they really want.
- Remember that Halloween only comes once a year and a little candy in moderation should be fine.
