{"id":309,"date":"2019-10-31T16:22:00","date_gmt":"2019-10-31T16:22:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.vanderbrookdds.com\/blog\/?p=309"},"modified":"2019-11-11T16:25:38","modified_gmt":"2019-11-11T16:25:38","slug":"halloween-candy-tips-5-tricks-for-safely-enjoying-sugary-treats","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.vanderbrookdds.com\/blog\/halloween-candy-tips-5-tricks-for-safely-enjoying-sugary-treats\/","title":{"rendered":"Halloween Candy Tips: 5 Tricks for Safely Enjoying Sugary Treats"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"Halloween<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Halloween is fun for\nchildren of all ages, but the extra sugar can mean big trouble for their teeth\nif they aren\u2019t careful. It can be challenging for parents to protect the oral\nhealth of their little ones during this season. Luckily, though, these 5\nHalloween candy tips can help your child make it through the rest of autumn\ncavity-free!<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

1. Carefully Choose Which Candy to Keep<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The easiest way to avoid the temptation of too much candy is\nto get rid of the excess. Have your kids pick their favorites that they want to\nkeep. You can donate the rest to programs like Operation Gratitude, which will\ndeliver the treats to troops overseas; you might also check to see if there\u2019s a\nHalloween Candy Buy Back event being held in your area.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When choosing the candy to get rid of, keep in mind that\nsome treats are worse for your pearly whites than others. The length of time\nsugar stays in your mouth plays a role in tooth decay; peppermints and other\nhard candies can be particularly harmful. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. Make a Schedule<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

If you snack on candy throughout the day, your dental health\n(and your overall diet) could suffer as a result. Choose some specific times\nwhen you\u2019ll allow your child to enjoy sweets. The best time is generally after\ndinner; the mouth produces more saliva during a meal, and that will help rinse\naway sugar particles in the mouth. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. Be Careful with Sticky Candy<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Sugary gum, taffy, gummy bears and other sticky candies can\ncling to the teeth. This makes it harder for them to be washed away by saliva\nand puts you at a much higher risk for cavities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

4. Have Plenty of Water on Hand<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Like saliva, water can help rinse food particles out of the\nmouth. That means it\u2019s a good idea to give your child some water to sip on\nafter they\u2019re done with their candy. Fluoridated water is better for strengthening\nand protecting tooth enamel; most tap water has fluoride, but if you give your\nchildren bottled water, you\u2019ll have to double-check whether fluoride is\nincluded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

5. Don\u2019t Forget to Brush and Floss<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Brushing and flossing become extra important in the weeks\nafter trick or treating. Make sure your child is brushing at least twice a day\nwith a soft-bristled toothbrush. Flossing is also important, as it removes food\nparticles and bacteria from the spaces your child wouldn\u2019t be able to reach\notherwise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Your dentist might have more advice for helping your little\nones avoid tooth decay after October; it may be a good idea to schedule an\nappointment and see what they have to say. With proper planning, your child can\nenjoy Halloween to the fullest without putting their precious smile at risk!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

About the Author<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Dr. Drew Vanderbrook became interested in dentistry at a\nyoung age. He\u2019s currently a member of the Texas Dental Association and was\nnamed New Dentist of the Year by the Dallas County Dental Society. If you want\nto schedule a checkup for your children or have concerns about cavities around\nHalloween, contact his practice, Vanderbrook Family Dentistry, by visiting his website<\/a> or calling\n(214) 821-5200.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Halloween is fun for children of all ages, but the extra sugar can mean big trouble for their teeth if they aren\u2019t careful. It can be challenging for parents to protect the oral health of their little ones during this season. Luckily, though, these 5 Halloween candy tips can help your child make it through […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-309","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vanderbrookdds.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/309","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vanderbrookdds.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vanderbrookdds.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vanderbrookdds.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vanderbrookdds.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=309"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.vanderbrookdds.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/309\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":311,"href":"https:\/\/www.vanderbrookdds.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/309\/revisions\/311"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vanderbrookdds.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=309"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vanderbrookdds.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=309"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vanderbrookdds.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=309"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}