After Halloween Candy Gorging!

Here at Firestone Pediatric Dentistry & Orthodontics, we think one of the scariest parts of Halloween is the damage it can do to your child’s oral health! We don’t want to deprive our little patients of the Halloween festivities, but there are a few ways to minimize the damage to your child’s oral health.

Tips for Avoiding Bad Halloween Treats

• Full stomach – Eating a big, healthy dinner before going trick-or-treating or anytime thereafter can help satisfy the urge to gorge on Halloween candy.
• Set up a candy bank – Keep your child’s Halloween candy for them and allow them to make daily “withdrawals” from the candy bank. This allows you to monitor how much candy your child is eating.
• Limit the amount of time that sugar sits on your child’s teeth – When deciding what candy to pass out to trick-or-treaters, look for treats that can be eaten quickly, like miniature candy bars or chocolates. Avoid sticky, sour, or hard candies, as they’ll do more damage to the teeth than chocolate. Chocolate melts away relatively quickly and won’t pull out your child’s fillings or crowns.
• Use fluoride to help avoid cavities – Fluoride has been shown to dramatically reduce the damage that can be caused by tooth decay and dental cavities. The most common ways to get fluoride are through fluoride toothpaste and drinking fluoride water.

The best way to keep your child’s teeth healthy and clean is to practice good oral hygiene habits all year round! This includes brushing at least twice a day with fluoride toothpaste, flossing every day, and visiting Firestone Pediatric Dentistry and Orthodontics here in Firestone, Colorado.