HALLOWEEN CANDY AND CHILDREN’S ORAL HEALTH

With Halloween just around the corner, many of us parents may be running around trying to find the perfect costumes for our children to go trick-or-treating in. However moms and dads out there we also need to think about our children’s oral health when it comes to this sugary, sweet, and ghoulish day. As most of us adult know sugary treats can have negative effects on our children’s teeth as well as our teeth.

While consuming many delicious treats on this day to celebrate Halloween, we may not see the negative effects right away. Cavities and decay on the teeth usually happen with too much exposure to sugary candies and snacks. The decay grows over time with the continued and excessive consumption of candy and sugary treats. Young children are more susceptible to decay during their first few years after their eruption in the mouth, and since children are getting teeth until around age 13, they have a higher vulnerability for decay.

The best advice we can give you parents out there, is to not let those Halloween treat sit around the house for too long. Consider allowing your kids to have a few pieces a day for a week and then getting rid of the rest of the treats to cut down their exposure, and consumption. The frequency of sugary consumption has a lot do with the cavity-causing decay that forms in your mouth.

Letting your children enjoy their Halloween candy is moderation won’t be harmful, as long as your children have good oral health habits.  Around this time of year it is good to be diligent in making sure your children brush and floss regularly, and making sure they don’t sneak any candy into their rooms before bedtime, after they have brushed and flossed. This will ensure that their smiles will stay healthy well beyond this “frightening” time of year.