With the arrival of Fall, Halloween is fast approaching and so are all the wonderful treats and sweets that come with the spooky month of October! It is important to remember that sweets can be detrimental to your dental health, and can often lead to unwanted issues involving the health of your teeth. Here are 5 dentist-approved ways to stay healthy during the sweetest time of the year!
- Give out healthier treats! People tend to think of traditional Halloween candy choices such as hard or chewy candy. Both of these can have harmful effects on your teeth and overall dental health if too much has been consumed. Hard candy often leads to teeth cracking in young children. Sticky candy can remain stuck in a child’s teeth for a prolonged period of time, allowing for sugars to sit and have an even greater impact on the teeth of young ones and adults alike. And if you’re not giving them out, you’re also less likely to be eating these candies as well!
- Perform a “safety check” of the candy that your children receive when doing Halloween trick-or-treating. Although it may seem like a daunting task to analyze every piece of candy your child brings home, you can also teach your children to keep an eye out for anything in their haul that may be considered dangerous or indigestible. You can also help by explaining some of the common ways candy can be tampered with, and how to avoid some of these mistakes.
- Sort the candy your child brings home into piles. You can help your child by encouraging them to only consume healthier options such as granola bars, for example. Explain your reasoning behind wanting your child to eat healthier options may allow them to understand why it may be beneficial for them to watch what they are eating. This will also help promote further healthy eating habits as your child continues to grow.
- Setting daily limits can be a great way to control the amount of candy that your children have at their disposal. With leftover candy, you have the option to regift to other trick-or-treaters, as well as save them for a rainy day. Setting daily limits for your children shows them what is acceptable to consume on a daily basis and what is not.
- Visit the dentist! Your local children’s dentist is your best friend during this time of year. Be sure to schedule regular checkups if you have not done so already. This helps you stay up-to-date with what is going on with your children’s dental health in a world full of sweety goodness!
Halloween can be a holiday of much fun, and as little as 1 visit to your children’s dentist can help you keep tabs on the dental health status of your child. Contact Cute Smiles 4 Kids to schedule your cleaning or consult today.
