Everyone loves a sweet treat around Halloween, especially if trick-or-treating is involved. Things can turn scary very quickly after a single candy turns into a pile of wrappers. While this can happen to the best of us, it’s important to take the right steps to ensure our candy choices don’t wreak havoc on our teeth.
Here are some friendly tips and tricks from UConn’s pediatric dental experts to keep in mind during this candy-filled holiday.
Avoid sticky and hard candy
Some of the worst candies for our teeth are the ones that stick on our teeth for hours and hours after consumption. This includes all types of gummy and chewy candy, and sugary bubble gum.
Brush in the evening before bed – 30 minutes after your last piece of candy
A 30-minute buffer after your last candy before brushing your teeth ensures that you aren’t brushing the sugary and acidic residue of the candy all around our mouths. It is best to wait until your saliva and your mouth returns to its normal pH before brushing.
Keep candy in a communal area/kitchen
Don’t let that stash of candy end up upstairs hiding under the bed or in the school bag! For children, keep the candy in a place that can be controlled and monitored by a parent/guardian for when and how much candy can be eaten. Bonus tip: Enjoy your Halloween candy on the actual day of Halloween, and then save the rest for special occasions.
Drink water!
Hydration is not only important for our general health, but for our teeth as well. To counteract and balance out the sugary and acidic contents of candy, encourage consistent water drinking throughout the spooky night. Water can help wash away the candy that sticks on our teeth, and neutralize our saliva’s pH, helping eliminate the cause of cavities.
Choking Caution!
For our littlest trick-or-treaters, specifically those 3 years of age and younger, a guardian should always monitor what candy they are eating. Caution should be taken to avoid any large or super chewy pieces of candy as this is a choking hazard for our little ones. Never bite off more than you can chew!
Have a safe and happy Halloween!
Second-year pediatric dental residents Drs. Mitra Marvasti-Sitterly, Tiana Piscitelli and Carly Ramirez contributed to this article.
