The spooky season is here, and kids are likely planning their costumes and getting ready for a night of trick or treating. While we want children to enjoy their night of fun, we also want to help them avoid tooth decay, which can occur due to too much sugar. In today’s blog, your Dallas, TX, pediatric dentist talks about how to help children avoid Halloween cavities!
The Link Between Sugar and Cavities
How will their Halloween treats potentially increase the risk of tooth decay for little smiles? Well, when children consume a lot of sugar, this will leave behind particles that harmful oral bacteria will consume. As they break down the sugar particles, this can coat the teeth in a byproduct known as plaque, which weakens and erodes the outer enamel to make cavities possible. This is especially likely if your little ones consume candies that are sticky and cling to the teeth, such as items with caramel or toffee. Cavities cause painful toothaches and without treatment, could be a source of infection or even premature tooth loss! But we have a few ideas for helping your little ones avoid tooth decay during the Halloween season, and during the holidays to come, which are also a time in which children tend to eat too many sweets!
Tips for Smile-Healthy Halloween Fun
First, consider providing items without sickly and clingy ingredients. Milk chocolate, for example, is much easier to clean from the teeth. Also, limit how many pieces your children can have each day. When they enjoy their daily candies, reserve them for just after dinner, when increased saliva production can help remove stray sugar particles. Following their candies with a glass of water also helps to do the same.
As a parent, you could offer your little ones the chance to choose some favorite pieces and simply trade the rest to you for money, a toy, or a chance to do a fun activity of their choosing, so they have their trick or treating fun without eating too many sweets. Likewise, if you are a house or apartment giving out treats to neighborhood kids, consider offering sugar-free items, or even fun party favors, like spider rings or plastic skeletons.
Limiting Cavity Risks at Home
You can also make sure your kids practice good oral hygiene to help limit the risk of tooth decay in little smiles. For example, make sure your children start their day by brushing their teeth for two minutes, and then do the same before going to bed at night. Each time they should use a toothbrush with soft bristles as this prevents inadvertent enamel damage or gum recession if they brush too hard. Those under the age of three should use a rice-sized blot of fluoride toothpaste, and kids over the age of three need a pea-sized portion. This toothpaste can help strengthen the enamel. Kids also need to floss every evening before bed, and preferably before they brush the second time, to remove the bits of food lodged between teeth and beyond the reach of the toothbrush.
Checkups and Cleanings for Kids
Our team can also help with a checkup and cleaning, in which we examine the teeth for signs of tooth decay so we can take action if needed, placing a lifelike filling in only one visit. We also clean the teeth, which removes the plaque and tartar buildup that can weaken outer enamel.
Fluoride Treatments
During the same visit, we can apply fluoride to the teeth in a varnish form to help strengthen the outer enamel and make the onset of cavities less likely!
Dental Sealants
Many kids have trouble reaching the rear teeth when they brush and floss, so this area is more vulnerable to tooth decay. But we can help with dental sealants, in which we coat the rear teeth in acrylic so that sugar cannot be trapped there, limiting the risk of cavities in the molars for years to come. In fact, sealants can sometimes stay in place for up to ten years!
If you have any questions about how to help you and your family enjoy a smile-healthy Halloween or if you would like to schedule a visit with our team for a checkup and cleaning, then please reach out to our office today! We want to help your kid avoid the terror of tooth decay during the spooky season!
PDC Kids Wants Kids to Enjoy A Smile-Healthy Halloween
Our team wants to help kids of all ages enjoy their holiday without putting their smiles at risk. To find out more about preventing a cavity, call Pediatric Dental Care at Casa Linda in Dallas, TX, today at (214) 321-4880.
filed under: Children’s Dental Services
