In just a few days your little ones will don their costumes and go door-to-door on a quest for candy. While dressing up and running around with friends is fun, you should know that sugary sweets can have a negative impact on your child’s oral health. However, you can limit their intake and also offer healthy alternatives to Halloween candy. Protect your child’s smile from something really scary, tooth decay.
How Does Sugar Hurt My Smile?
Sugar particles often become stuck between your teeth. There, bacteria can break them down. In the process, the teeth are coated in a layer of plaque and the level of oral acidity can increase. This weakens the enamel coating the teeth, leading to erosion. Bacteria can then move past the weakened enamel and reach the inner layers of dentin, causing a cavity to form. You can then experience tooth sensitivity to hot or cold temperatures and chronic toothaches. Eventually, lack of treatment can mean the teeth become damaged and infected. However, cutting back on sugar intake can reduce the risk of dental cavities forming.
Healthy Alternatives
First, you can limit how much of their haul your children can eat per day. We recommend offering them as a desert after dinner. By doing so, the kids will also drink water, which helps rinses away the sugar. You can also give out small trinkets and toys, as well as healthy snacks, such as packages of crackers, apples, or packages of nuts.
Do I Need to See the Dentist?
We recommend that children and adults undergo a routine checkup and cleaning twice a year. Following the holiday you can schedule an appointment for a cleaning to help your children avoid cavities. In addition, we can recommend a fluoride treatment or dental sealants to strengthen teeth against harmful decay-causing bacteria.
