Now that Halloween is over, your child has a mountain of candy that they got from trick-or-treating at their disposal. The problem is, snacking on sweets for weeks on end is a recipe for a cavity-riddled household! To keep your favorite smile healthy and happy, read on for five post-Halloween oral health tips to ward off the lingering threat of decay.
Minimize Snacking Outside of Mealtimes
Harmful oral bacteria love to feed off of sugars found within the mouth, which is why regularly exposing teeth and gums to sweets can increase your child’s chances of developing cavities. To give their saliva a chance to clear away food debris from eating their Halloween candy, it’s a good idea to limit candy consumption to mealtimes.
Help Them Stay on Top of Their Dental Hygiene Routine
Halloween kicks off an exciting time of year for children—the holidays! The changes in their school schedule and mountain of candy readily available to them can impact their eating and dental hygiene routine. By helping them stay on top of brushing twice a day for at least two minutes, flossing daily, and rinsing with mouthwash, you can help them keep their smile from becoming overrun with tartar and plaque.
Set Up a Candy Bank for Rewards & Treats
Instead of having their stash of candy always be accessible to them, you can set up a candy bank where they can make daily withdrawals! This will help prevent excessive snacking and encourage them to be more responsible when it comes to satisfying their cravings for sweets.
Pick Out Jawbreakers & Hard Candies
Stressful situations like dental emergencies can happen at any moment, especially if your child is eating candies that are excessively hard or chewy. Not only can a chipped tooth caused by a jawbreaker lead to dental sensitivity, but when left untreated, it can increase your child’s risk of developing severe decay or even an infection. Going through their candy pile and removing chewy taffies and caramels as well as hard jawbreakers can minimize your child’s chances of ending up in their emergency dentist’s treatment chair!
Bring Them in for Their Checkup & Cleaning
The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry recommends bringing your child in twice a year for routine checkups and cleanings with their pediatric dentist starting at age one. There’s no better time to schedule their bi-annual visit than right after Halloween! This way, their dentist can spot and treat any early signs of decay as well as provide them with a fluoride treatment to help prevent the future threat of cavities.
About the Practice
Our five pediatric dentists at Glen Ellyn Pediatric Dentistry are dedicated to creating positive and memorable experiences for every child that visits our office. From routine checkups and cleanings to helpful preventive education and even emergency care, we offer virtually every service your little one could need under one convenient roof. Schedule an appointment with one of our specialists today by visiting our website or calling 630-858-8755.