Halloween is an exciting time for kids and for many adults, too. One of the things this holiday revolves around is candy! While the occasional sweet treat is great, too much sugar can be extremely bad for your teeth. We’re not telling you to forgo trick-or-treating this year, but you should make sure to focus on oral hygiene during this time, especially for your kids.

Here are some of our top tips for keeping your family’s teeth healthy this Halloween.

Limit the sweet treats

If you’re trick or treating with the kids, then you’ll probably come back with big bags of candy. Kids’ instinct is usually to gorge on as many of these as possible and then regret it later. Try to limit them to one or two of these sweet treats a day so they’re not damaging their teeth with too much sugar. It can also be better to eat them as an after-meal treat rather than between meals.

Choose candy wisely

Most years on Halloween, we stock up a big bowl of candy to give out to trick-or-treaters and then end up with it laying around the house as a temptation. For your own health and that of the kids knocking on your door, choose candies that are better for your teeth.

Sugar-free candy is a good choice. Try to avoid hard candy as this stays in your mouth longer, exposing your teeth to sugar for longer. It can also be damaging to anyone with dental implants. And try to avoid especially sticky candy that stays stuck in your teeth after you’ve eaten it. If you really want to help the neighborhood kids, consider handing out something other than candy.

Drink water

All that Halloween candy combined with sugary drinks adds up to a lot of sugar! Try to switch soda for water to reduce your sugar intake. Water is also good for your oral health as it washes food debris and bacteria off your teeth.

Keep brushing and flossing

Brushing twice a day and flossing regularly are always important, but you should be even more vigilant after consuming lots of sugary snacks. Candy can easily get stuck between your teeth, building up bacteria that can cause tooth decay and make you need tooth fillings. If you don’t normally floss regularly, go out and buy some. Make sure you and your kids visit the dentist regularly and take good care of your mouths to keep them healthy throughout the Halloween period.

If you’re due a post-Halloween dental check-up, then contact us for pain-free dentistry in Advance, NC.