Trick-or-treating is a timeless tradition that, while fun, can potentially lead to oral health issues. The copious amount of sugar, gummy sweets, and hard candies are tough on your children’s teeth, and you don’t want it to result in cavities at their next trip to the dentist. Here are several dental care tips to follow this Halloween season so your children’s smiles stay healthy.

What Are Some Oral Health Tips to Follow This Halloween?

1. Limit Gummy and Chewy Candies

Despite their deliciousness, gummy, chewy, and sticky candies are more harmful than others. They're difficult to chew, and there's a chance they may pull out cavity fillings and damage braces. 

These sweets are also much harder to clean from teeth because they stick in tight crevices. Longer-term sugar exposure can increase the risk of tooth decay, so limit how many of these sweets your child consumes.

2. Brush After Eating

Sugar and acids are the main issues with Halloween candy. Sugar fuels decay-causing bacteria in the mouth. As kids digest it, they produce acids that eat away at tooth enamel. Coupled with existing acids in Halloween candy, your child may quickly develop decayed, collapsed areas on the tooth, called cavities. 

Brushing and flossing is the only way to remove sugars and acids. Ensure your child does both at least twice a day and especially after eating Halloween candy.

3. Eat Candy in Moderation

It’s easy for your children to go overboard with so much candy on hand. Limit how much they’re allowed to have each day to prevent oral health issues. The best strategy is to put the candy somewhere out of sight, so it won’t tempt anyone.

If you or your children are due for a dental exam, contact the offices of Craig A. Spletzer, DDS. This Fairfield, OH, dentist is committed to keeping patients’ smiles healthy and creates personalized treatment plans for each of them. Aside from preventive care, Dr. Spletzer also offers cosmetic solutions like veneers and teeth whitening. Learn more about this dentist for children on his website or call (513) 860-1133 today to schedule a teeth cleaning.