Make Halloween a Happy Time and not a Dental Nightmare

Is your little ghost or goblin counting the days until Halloween? Does the thought of eating large amounts of chewy, sticky candy, have your child salivating in anticipation? And does the worry of taking care of your child’s teeth during a sugar-laden holiday leave you wondering - what’s the best way to make your child happy without ruining their smile?

NW Calgary Dentists at Metro Dental in Harvest Hills empathize with parents who want to let their children enjoy some Halloween treats without increasing the risk of dental health issues. There’s no getting around it – Halloween Candy is packed with sugar and sticky substances that get trapped in between teeth and around dental appliances. If consumed in large quantities - and over an extended period of time – candy can turn a happy event into a dental nightmare due to the formation of dental decay and gum inflammation.

Dr. Verena Lam and Dr. Jeff Chen are Calgary Dentists who want patients to have a fun Halloween – so provide some tips on controlling sugar intake and ensuring teeth are kept clean after consuming candy. The first step in ensuring that your child isn’t exposed to an overload of sugar – is to look through Halloween candy and remove treats that require a lot of time to eat – think jawbreakers – as the longer your child has candy in their mouth, the more they’re subjected to the damaging effects of sugar. Treats that are predominantly chocolate – that literally melts in the mouth – is often a better option as eating this candy doesn’t last more than a couple of minutes – and any residual chocolate is easily rinsed away with a glass of water (if a toothbrush isn’t handy).

Also limiting the amount of time your child has access to their candy goes a long way in reducing a sugar overload. Letting them select a few candies after supper and telling them they have ten to fifteen minutes to enjoy their treats will prevent them from having sugar washed around their mouth for hours at a time.

And of course, the best advice that these Dentists in Harvest Hills can offer is to make sure that teeth are brushed and flossed after consuming sugar. That way sugar bugs are kept to a minimum and decay-causing acid is controlled.

For more information regarding keeping your child’s teeth clean and free from sugar bugs – contact Metro Dental today (587) 355-2524