It might be fun to dress up with black and rotting teeth for Halloween, but it’s not fun to have them every day in real life.
Halloween is a time when many parents let their children indulge in more lollies than normal. It’s fine for a one off, but there are also some simple actions to take to ensure that even the occasional lolly binge does not turn into a mouth of scary teeth, decay, or missing teeth.
The Australian Dental Association has provided some simple tips to help reduce the effects of sugar on your family’s teeth this Halloween:
Limit the amount of sugary treats children can have;
Ensure that children do not snack on sugary treats over a long period of time;
Rinse your mouth with water after eating anything sugary;
Chew sugar free gum to stimulate saliva, which can neutralize the acid attacks;
Check the nutritional information of snacks that are marketed as ‘healthy’ – many foods contain high levels of sugar. Examples are dried fruit, biscuits (sweet and savoury), fruit juice, muesli bars, crackers, cereals, flavoured milk, sweetened yoghurt, fruit bars, fruit slice, flavoured popcorn, canned fruit, baked goods and banana bread;
Ensure that children brush their teeth well before going to bed;
Give children alternatives such as cheap toys and trinkets – there are many other ways to have fun on Halloween in addition to sweets. Use this as an opportunity to be creative; and
Have a sugar break the week before and the week after Halloween.
Australia’s Oral Health Tracker has released some scary statistics (March 2018) which indicate that:
close to one third of children aged 5-10 years old have untreated tooth decay
3 out of 4 children consume too much sugar; and
Almost half of Australian children have not visited a dentist before their fifth birthday.
(https://www.ada.org.au/Dental-Professionals/Australia-s-Oral-Health-Tracker )
Follow the tips above for a safe night of trick or treating and don’t forget a regular dentist appointment to help protect young teeth and mouths for the future.