Halloween is often associated with cavities and dental fillings. But, for all that Halloween gets blamed for a lot of dental issues among children, there are some things you can do this upcoming Halloween to keep your kids’ teeth healthy and your dentist happy.
Consider Having Sealants Applied Before Halloween
Sealants are a protective coating that can be applied to your children’s teeth by our dentists here at Bridge Creek Dental. This treatment requires the underlying teeth to be healthy, as sealants quite literally seal the teeth and help to prevent damage from harmful bacteria. The cost of sealants can vary, though on average, per tooth sealants can cost around $35-$40. Dental insurance can discount or completely cover sealant treatments, and in the end, sealants are far less expensive than cavities, root canals, or cosmetic dental treatments that may be needed down the road.
Ways To Protect Your Kids Teeth On Halloween
Along with having sealants put on your children’s teeth, there are some steps you can take on Halloween. These steps can help reduce the damage of the upcoming candy frenzy.
Eat Before Trick-Or-Treating
Before you take the kids out trick-or-treating, be sure to feed them a hearty meal. Not only will that help prevent sugar crashing—and related temper tantrums—but with a good dinner in their stomachs, your children won’t fill up completely on candy. Ideally, a high protein meal with fiber-rich vegetables will help satiate their appetites and help your kids fill up.
Carry Water
Another good way to protect your children’s teeth while taking them out trick-or-treating is to carry water with you. Between munching on candy, have your kids take a drink of water. The water will help wash away the sugar residue. Also, along with assisting with sugar buildup prevention, having water on you can help prevent dry mouth. When your kids’ mouths are dry, their saliva is unable to breakdown the candy particles efficiently, which allows more bacteria to gather and eat.
Have A Set Ending Time
Kids often have a walk-’til-they-drop attitude when it comes to collecting free candy on Halloween. But the longer they are out eating candy and gathering more candy to consume later, the more at-risk their teeth can become. So, before your family sets out on Halloween, set a firm ending time. Most kids will push until they drop, and you don’t want your children to be too sleepy to effectively brush their teeth.
Ensure Good Brushing & Flossing After
Depending on the age of your children, after trick-or-treating on Halloween, you may want to brush your kids’ teeth and help them floss. With children over eight years old who can brush their teeth on their own, you can likely just double-check to make sure that any sticky, sugary residue is gone. Also, in the days following Halloween, you may want to consider trading your kids for their candy stash. Things from swapping candy for a special trip or nonfood treat, or simply paying a certain rate per candy weight is a great way to have your kids give up indulging in too much sugar.
Schedule A Dental Cleaning After Halloween
Lastly, you can schedule a dental cleaning for your kids after Halloween. Not only will this help make sure that your children’s teeth are in good shape post-candy binging, but it can also assist in ensuring that your kids’ dental health is in top condition going into the rest of the holiday season. If you would like to schedule your children’s dental cleaning, sealant treatment, or other dental services you and your family may need, feel free to contact us today. We look forward to helping you keep your family’s smiles healthy!