Healthy Halloween Tips
You wouldn’t dream of denying your children the Halloween experience. But there are some things you can do to keep the fun in Halloween while making it a “teachable moment” in terms of your family’s oral health:
- Give trick-or-treaters fun alternatives to candy, such as: Halloween stickers, Halloween pencils and erasers, temporary tattoos, vampire teeth.
- Once your kids have collected their treats, go through their bags of Halloween candy together. Tell them to pick the 10 or so (whatever number you decide, based on factors such as age) treats they want the most, then immediately get the unpicked treats out of sight.
- Ration the remaining candy over a few weeks, donate it a food bank or shelter, or freeze it if you can’t bear to throw it out.
- Let your child trade in Halloween candy for a video game, book, toy or trip to the movies.
- Limit the number of times a day your child eats sugary treats or snacks between meals. It is best to eat sugary treats at the end of mealtime while there is still plenty of saliva in the mouth, to wash away the sugars and acids.
- Try to get your child to drink a glass of water after eating a sugary treat.
- Limit soft, sticky treats that get stuck between teeth. Snacks such as pretzels, with starches that stay in the mouth longer, can also lead to cavities, as can fruit juices.
- Serve snacks that will not harm your child’s teeth, such as vegetables, string cheese, nuts, seeds, sugarless gum or sugarless candy.
- Start a tradition of giving your children new toothbrushes at Halloween. Let them choose a design they like and pick out their own toothpaste (with fluoride and ADA-approved brand).
- Always have your child brush and floss before going to bed.
The healthy lessons your children learn at Halloween will serve them well throughout their lives. You will have taught them how to control their diets and that what they eat affects their overall health. They will get the message that candy isn’t bad if you control how much you eat and practice good oral hygiene.
If you are looking for a dentist in Plymouth, Canton, Northville or Livonia who utilizes the latest dental techniques and technology, be sure to check out Dr. Gary Feucht at www.plymouthdentistry.com and give us a call at (734) 459-7110.
Plymouth Dentistry 