A new survey targeting 5- to 13-year-olds found 94 percent of them trick-or-treat and 65 percent of them consider Halloween the best holiday of the year. Yet two thirds of the respondents agreed that they eat too much candy around that final day of October. Even most of us in the dental profession admit to enjoying a few too many sweet treats during the end of the year holidays. The good news? You can pay attention to dental care for children (and yourself!) without giving out pencils and toothbrushes on Halloween.
Tips-N-Treats
- Not all candy is created equal.
- Avoid: Taffy, caramels, gummy bears; anything that is sticky, chewy or sour
- Sticky: sticks to the teeth longer
- Sour: High acid content that can erode tooth enamel
- What's a "non-candy" treat that kids still love?
- Sugar-free gum! It stimulates saliva flow and removes debris off the teeth.
- Stickers!
- Fun bracelets!
- Glow jewelry - helpful on Halloween night, too!
- What's the best kind of candy to give out from a dentist's point of view?
- Any candy that's small - and preferably not on the "avoid" list above. Think CHOCOLATE!
- What type of treat is a dentist's worst nightmare?
- We are most concerned about the type of sugar. Sticky and long-lasting candy, like caramels or suckers, are going to linger on your teeth after finishing them and be a problem. The stickier the candy and the longer the candy remains in the mouth, the worse it is.
- What's the best kind of candy to give out?
- Chocolate! Chocolate clears out of the mouth quickly. (Not chocolate with caramel...)
- Non-chocolate option: Small packs of sugar-free gum!
- Other Must-Knows
- The average child receives 90 pieces of candy on Halloween. Limit the # of pieces and times of day your children can enjoy some of their candy.
- You can bring your candy in to our Sweet Swap! Trade your candy in for gift cards or cash!
See our Dentist's Guide to Halloween 2011 from last year for more great tips!
More great resources: StopZombieMouth.com, SmilesNY.com, PopCap.com
