Halloween can be a fun holiday for our little ones, but it can also be a night of terror for their teeth. Dental care is typically on the rise around this festive holiday because of the overconsumption of candy and other sugary indulgences, teenage roughhousing, and a lack of proper dental hygiene.
Cavities, tooth decay, and other dental complications can be easily prevented if healthy dental care is practiced daily and routine dental visits are made, especially after a night of heavy sugar consumption.
Here at Heroes Dental, our San Juan family dentist and dental hygienists care about your dental health both before and after your children experience all that Halloween has to offer. After serving San Juan for years, we have compiled the four best tips to prevent dental complications both before and after Halloween to help you and your little ones have a healthy, happy holiday.
1. Get Your Teeth Cleaned Before the Frightful Festivities
Getting your teeth cleaned before Halloween allows your dentist to connect with you and your family about how to prevent a wide variety of dental complications like gum disease, tooth erosion, and cavities.
A routine teeth cleaning also helps you know where you stand in terms of oral health, giving you the insight to know what types of candy you should avoid. In general, it’s always an excellent idea to get a thorough teeth cleaning twice a year.
2. Select Less Tooth-Terrifying Candy to Eat
In order to protect your teeth, a good rule of thumb to follow when selecting what kind of candies you have in front of you to eat is to avoid anything that is sticky and sour.
Sticky candies are one of the most difficult types of candy to get off the surface of your teeth because the sticky chemical particles found in such candies tend to stay on your teeth for a much longer time than other candies like chocolate would.
Sour candies should also be avoided because of substantial amounts of acid in them that weaken your enamel the more you eat them, leaving you more prone to developing cavities and other dental complications.
3. Celebrate Halloween With Hydration
Water is not only extremely beneficial for your overall health, but it is also crucial for your dental health as well, especially after heavy candy consumption.
Drinking water while eating candy can help prevent tooth decay by flushing away the sugar-loving bacteria in your mouth. Water also helps in removing sugar as well as small food particles that can damage your enamel–especially in the hard-to-reach places that are commonly missed during brushing.
4. Devour Ghastly Candies After a Meal in Moderation
Gorging on candy isn’t something that a San Juan family dentist would recommend; however, with Halloween comes spooky tricks and sweet treats.
Sweets are fine to have every once in a while, and normally in small, infrequent portions. But, if you are going to snack on some sugary delights, be sure to eat them after a meal.
Having a piece or two of candy after a meal doesn’t do much lasting damage to your teeth, as saliva that is generated from the initial meal is still being produced. This greatly reduces the prevalence of cavities in the long run because the saliva washes away most of the sugars from your teeth, keeping the food source out of the bad bacteria’s reach that create acids that burn away your enamel.
It is important to remember that moderation is key when consuming candy, especially if you want to keep your teeth in good health. Eating some candy in one sitting then immediately brushing your teeth, along with flossing afterward, is one of the most effective methods of preventing dental complications that can not only save you time but money as well.
See your San Juan pediatric dentist of Heroes Dental before you and your family go trick-or-treating this year.
Hunting for and eating candy on Halloween is a tradition for many children and adults in the U.S., all the while making memories and building stronger bonds with the people you love around you. Following these four simple steps, in addition to other healthy daily dental habits, can lessen the damage done to your enamel while still celebrating what makes Halloween fun.
Don’t let the overconsumption of sugary candies dampen the beauty of your smile. Schedule a visit with your San Juan family dentist at Heroes Dental today for a dental checkup and cleaning.