A cold wind rattles the bone-like tree limbs as ghosts and goblins begin to make their pilgrimage door to door. Their goal? Spooky treats of candy and sweets! Little do they know that the scariest thing awaiting them this Halloween isn’t the monster under their bed or the skeletons in the closet… it’s the cavities lurking in their teeth!
If you want to enjoy the holiday season and keep your child’s teeth cavity-free, continue reading. Here are some tips for oral care that won’t wake the dead.
1. Make a Plan to Tackle Treats
It can be tempting to get swept up in the spirit and allow a free-for-all on candy, but it can be just as fun and even more beneficial to your kids to make a plan first.
If your children want to stay out and trick-or-treat for a while, you might offer to let them use their candy as currency, turning it in for toys or special awards at the end of the night.
If they’d rather have their candy, try offering smaller bags for them to collect their thrill-gotten gains with or reduce the number of houses you visit. This could be supplemented with a scary movie night so everyone can enjoy the night without feeling too concerned about their teeth.
2. Serve up Spooky Water or Milk Instead of Soda
With all the candy and sweets flying around, it wouldn’t be great to continue supplying it with sweetened beverages. Your mouth needs saliva to help wash away food particles and acids caused by bacterial plaque.
To help with this, try offering up customized Halloween water bottles. Water aids in the production of saliva and your kids will love dressing their water bottle up like a mummy or wrapping it in orange foam and drawing a Jack O’ Lantern face.
Alternatively, find some butterfly pea powder or blue food coloring and add it to some milk with a little vanilla extract for a perfect magic milk potion that contains calcium and acid-neutralizing agents.
Brush Before Bedtime
Finally, before bed, your children should brush their teeth to get rid of all the excess candy and food particles still clinging to their pearly whites.
To keep up with the season, you might offer to light some candles and turn the lights off while you all brush your teeth together. This will create a bonding moment while keeping the spirit of Halloween alive until the candles are mysteriously blown out once tooth-brushing time is over.
This Halloween, embrace the spooky and cultivate good oral hygiene at the same time. Cavities are a prevalent creature in the dental world, but vigilance and preventive care will make sure they stay gone and buried. If you need more help, schedule a dental checkup before the fun begins!
About the Author
Dr. Drew Vanderbrook knows the power of a smile, and he’s dedicated to keeping all of his patients healthy and confident. He received his Doctor of Dental Surgery at Baylor College of Dentistry. Since then, he has expanded his education through professional organizations and prestigious centers of learning like the Spear Center for Dental Excellence. To schedule an appointment at Vanderbrook Family Dentistry, call (214) 821-5200 or visit the website to learn more.