Categories: Children's Dentistry

Protecting Your Kids From Halloween Cavities

Have you kids chosen their costumes for Halloween night? We want them to enjoy trick or treating but also avoid the onset of cavities. Which is why we have a few tips for avoiding the onset of tooth decay from Halloween through the holiday season. In today’s blog, your Maple Grove, MN, dentist talks about avoiding Halloween-related cavities.

How Treats Lead to Cavities

Kids love indulging in their Halloween treats, but consuming lots of sugar, especially in sticky forms that cling to the teeth, can lead to cavities. When harmful oral bacteria break down the particles of sugar, this raises oral acidity and coats the teeth in plaque, which over time weakens and erodes enamel to cause tooth decay. To help your kids enjoy their Halloween haul and protect their smiles, try to limit them to a piece of two a day, and reserve them for after dinner, that way the combination of elevated saliva production and a glass of water can help rinse away the harmful sugars.

You could also give your kids the chance to trade their candy in to you for a small amount of money or a toy. If you will be handing out treats at your house, then consider offering options free of sugar, such as temporary tattoos, stickers, or Halloween-related party favors, like spider rings or plastic bats and skeletons.

Children’s Dentistry

We offer children’s dentistry to help safeguard little smiles against cavities. With a routine checkup visit, we can watch for the earliest signs of enamel erosion, and also remove all plaque and tartar with a cleaning to help protect little smiles. With preventive treatments, our team can offer care to lower the risk of cavities. Fluoride can be applied to the teeth in a varnish form to strengthen the outer enamel and prevent erosion. Dental sealants can coat the rear teeth that are hard for kids to reach when they brush and floss, so particles of sugar can’t become stuck between the teeth. These can last for up to ten years! Both options can be applied in seconds, and kids just need to avoid food and drink for about a half hour as they cure fully.

The Proper Brushing and Flossing

You can also help your children by making sure they care for their smiles from home. For example, make sure they brush for two minutes when they wake up and again before bed with a soft-bristled toothbrush and a fluoride toothpaste. Be sure they floss before going to bed too! If you have any questions about how our team will protect smiles from Halloween tooth decay, then contact our team.