Regardless of how old you are, the month of October is known to be hard on your teeth. From those spooky pumpkin buckets of lollipops everywhere you go to the giant stockpile of treats you’ve bought in advance for your trick-or-treaters, the month of October is infamous for wreaking havoc on your teeth.
But don’t be scared! We have some easy solutions to keep you and your family cavity-free this Halloween. A little bit of self-control and some effective candy sorting goes a long way. The best part? We actually prefer your binge! Eating your daily candy portion all at once and then brushing right away is much better for your teeth than grazing on candy all day long, which repetitively exposes your teeth to the harmful effects of sugar.
Step 1: Avoid and Limit the Worst Treats for your Teeth
If you are a closet jawbreaker junkie, this might be easier said than done, but limiting your intake of these particular candies that are known to hurt your teeth is the first step in a healthy Halloween:
Candies that are sticky/chewy including caramels that glue sugars to your teeth and can pull out old fillings.
Candies that are hard, which can literally break your teeth (they aren’t called jawbreakers without reason).
Candies that linger in your mouth too long such as suckers; the longer they are in your mouth, the more damage the sugar can do!
Step 2: Opt for Eating and Giving out Healthier Treats like
You can be a part of our collective oral healthiness! All you have to do it hand out treats such as the ones listed below, that are less likely to gravely impact your teeth.
Granola bars
Cereal bars
Chips
Pretzels
Raisins
Plain chocolate bars
Or…give out pencils, stickers, temporary tattoos instead!
Step 3: Try to Avoid Tooth Pain Post-Halloween
So, you’ve successfully conquered Halloween without overindulging in the sticky and hard candies, but you still fear the onslaught of tooth pain? Here are a few more easy tips to avoid tooth pain after Halloween:
Don’t forget to brush brush brush and floss, floss, floss. You can definitely brush more than the typically recommended two times a day when candy is involved!
If a toothbrush isn’t available, at least be sure to rinse out your mouth with water to help flush out some of the lingering sugars.
Remember…safety always comes first – check each candy before you or your children eat it.
Wondering if that tooth sensitivity might be a result of your overindulgence at Halloween? Perhaps you are experiencing the scariest part of Halloween, right inside your mouth. If that’s the case, call our team at Dr. Syed right now to schedule an appointment. We are here to help!
