Halloween – A Time For Potential Dental Horrors!

If you have children, Halloween might be a time when they’re tempted to eat too many sugary treats.

While some traditions die, others become more popular and there is little doubt that Halloween falls into the latter category. While, for adults, this largely means the opportunity for more horror films or perhaps adult themed Halloween parties; for children, it means just one thing; the opportunity to gorge themselves on as many sweets as they possibly can in a short period of time.

While many parents worry about the hyperactivity that too much sugar can cause, and perhaps having to deal with a child who is being sick, the amount of sugar consumed should also be of concern for the health of their teeth and gums. In today’s blog, we offer some guidance for Canterbury patients of Bradley and Partners Dental & Implant Clinic to help them get through Halloween with as few problems as possible.

The main risks

Aside from a ‘poorly tummy’, the big issue is, of course, tooth decay. The fact is that sugar feeds the bacteria that damage the gums and also the tooth enamel. Once this has been damaged, bacteria can enter inside the tooth and cause tooth decay and possibly root canal infections too.

It will be almost impossible to ban your kids from eating sweets during this time of the year, but there are a few things that can really help. Hopefully, these will help your children avoid the need for dental treatment caused by eating too many sweets.

Moderation

Whether you will be able to persuade your child not to eat too many sweets will probably depend on your relationship with them, but it’s certainly worth discussing what can happen to their teeth if they consume too many. You could also ask them not to eat those that remain for longer in the mouth. For example, chocolate gets washed away much quicker than a sticky toffee which can stick between your teeth and be very difficult to remove.

When they come back (overly) excited by the sweets that they have managed to get, try to make sure to allow them to eat only a portion, promising they can have the rest soon. This will at least buy you a little time. Perhaps if they feel ill from eating too many sweets on the first evening, they may even decline them later with a bit of luck!

Water, not pop

If the kids come back to your house to enjoy their ‘stash’ , make sure to give them water to drink rather than pop. In addition to not adding yet more sugar to their teeth, the water will also help to wash away some of the sugars. This is a simple tip that while it won’t solve the problem totally, will help to reduce the harm done.

Alternatives

Although it may not help your own kids; if you have trick or treaters come to your door, try to have a supply of non sugary things to give them. ‘Spooky’ Halloween gifts and toys will make a nice change for them and won’t cause any damage to their teeth.

Bribery!

Most parents will have to resort to bribery from time to time. We know how excited kids get about Halloween and we don’t want to spoil their fun. Especially after they have had their first feed of sweets, they may well be open to a little bribery. Offer to exchange as many sweets as you can in return for more tooth friendly treats. This could be a physical thing, such as a toy or comic, or perhaps a trip to the cinema or wherever it is that they like to go. This can be a very successful way of reducing Halloween sugar intake.

Oh and please don’t be tempted to eat too many leftovers yourself, your teeth are just as vulnerable as your children’s!

Supervise their teeth cleaning

After going out trick or treating and eating too many sweets, there is every chance that your child will be extremely tired and irritable. It can be all too easy to let them go to bed without cleaning their teeth but this is something that you definitely should not do. It is really important that they clean their teeth well before going to bed, and certainly not eating or drinking anything other than water afterwards.

Even if your children have started to brush their teeth unsupervised, we advise that, on this occasion, you do supervise them. A thorough brushing and, ideally, flossing of their teeth will help to remove most of the sugar and minimise any risk of tooth decay and a trip to see our Canterbury children’s dentist.

Ongoing care

Hopefully having survived any Halloween scares with their teeth, this can be a good time to take a look at what can be improved in their oral care regimen. The best way to do this is to make sure that their toothbrush isn’t worn out and replace it if it is. You should also make sure that you have check up appointments booked with us. If you haven’t, or if you need to book an appointment due to a Halloween toothache, you can contact Bradley and Partners Dental & Implant Clinic by calling us on 01227 463529. Happy Halloween!