Halloween is a magical time but it can be a little scary for kids. In addition to the ghosts and goblins, there are plenty of sweets at home. It is an excellent time for kids to show creativity and get together with friends, but there’s nothing scary about your child’s dental health. The fun and excitement of Halloween can lead to decay in your children’s teeth. If you want your kids to have healthy teeth as they grow up, it’s essential to ensure they get good oral hygiene habits early on. Here are some tips for keeping your kids’ teeth healthy this Halloween.
7 Tips for Keeping Your Child’s Teeth Healthy This Halloween
The Halloween candy rush is on. And while you can’t always be around to keep your kids from eating too much of the not-so-good stuff, there are things you can do to help them enjoy their treats without compromising their teeth. Here are seven tips to keep your child’s smile healthy this Halloween:
Set Ground Rules for Candy Consumption as Soon as Possible
It’s never too early to start talking to your kids about the importance of eating healthy foods and limiting sugar intake. By setting clear expectations early on, you’ll be able to avoid battles later on Halloween night when they’re tired and have had too much sugar!
Have a Plan for Halloween Night
Before trick-or-treating begins, talk with your kids about how much candy they want to eat and how often they want to eat it. If you know your child will want to eat a lot of candy on Halloween night, plan so that he or she can have a healthy meal beforehand. You might also consider offering some healthy snacks between trick-or-treating rounds, so your child doesn’t get too hungry and head straight for the candy bowl when you get home.
Steer Clear of Sticky Candies
Sticky candies such as lollipops, gumdrops, and taffy are bad for teeth because they stick to the tooth surface and have a high sugar content that causes tooth decay if not removed quickly. These types of candies are also more likely than others to cause choking incidents in small children because they can get caught in the throat if swallowed whole or chewed up into tiny pieces by small children who don’t know any better than to swallow them whole without chewing them first!
Follow-up Meals With Toothbrush Time
After dinner, encourage your kids to brush their teeth thoroughly before bedtime — even if they ate only a single piece of candy during the day (for example, if they got a few pieces of fruit). The sooner you brush your teeth after eating, the better your chance of preventing cavities and other dental problems from developing over time. Last thing you want is to be seeing a dentist for fillings over and over.
Save the M&Ms for Mealtimes
Instead of allowing children to gorge themselves on candy all day long, set aside pre-sorted amounts of candy for each mealtime. This will help reduce the sugar consumed at once and prevent tooth decay.
Find a Halloween Candy Buyback Program
One great way to ensure that your kids don’t eat too much candy is to sign up for a local Halloween candy buyback program. These programs allow parents to trade their kids’ unwanted candy for cash or other prizes. The candy will be donated to the military, schools, and charities. This way, you can help ensure that your child doesn’t get too much sugar this Halloween without having to throw away perfectly good candy.
Stay Up to Date on Exams
It’s important to schedule regular checkups for your children throughout the year so you can spot any potential problems early on. This way, if something goes wrong with their teeth or gums, you’ll catch it before it gets out of hand — and before they go trick-or-treating!
Conclusion
Keeping children’s teeth healthy and cavity-free has been a major concern for parents for years. It’s difficult to deny the thrill of putting on that orc costume or chomping down on some candy corn, but it is important to remember the lasting consequences of overindulging during this time of year. By taking a few precautions and focusing on moderation, Halloween’s fun can be had without any long-lasting dental damage.
