Halloween Candy Tips to Protect Your Kids Teeth

Kids love Halloween! And why wouldn\’t they? Costumes, friends, staying out late, and of course… candy!

Parents enjoy Halloween too, but they also worry about their kids eating too much candy. They love seeing all the kids in costumes but those seemingly endless bads of candy make you worry about your kid\’s health and their teeth.

You have reason to worry. All that candy. All that sugar, and more sugar and even more sugar. It\’s a recipe for upset stomachs and cavities.

What is a parent to do? Here are a few tips to help you protect your kid\’s teeth and their health on Halloween.

Halloween Health Tips

Eat dinner before trick or treating – Try to fill your kids with some healthy food before they go out for trick or treating. Even a slice of pizza is going to be like health food compared to all the candy they\’ll be eating later. The fuller their stomach is the less room there will be for candy.

Drink water – Drinking fluoridated water can help prevent tooth decay. It will also help fill the stomach and maybe help ease their appetite for more candy.

Chew sugarless gum – Xylitol, a fluoride like substance in sugarless gum can help remineralize any initial acidic breakdown of enamel.

Stay away for soda and sugary drinks – Your kids will get plenty of sugar on Halloween so there\’s no reason to give them sugary and acidic soda.

Try to limit eating the most unhealthy candies – Some candies are worse than others. Sticky taffy and sour patch kids will stick to your kid\’s teeth and can cause more damage. Chocolate, on the other hand, can wash off your children\’s teeth more easily.

Don\’t forget to brush and floss – Your kids should be doing this every night anyway, so don\’t change the routine for Halloween. Clean that sugar off their teeth so it\’s not lingering all night long.

Give candy to Operation Gratitude – Let your kids pick out some of their favorites and then donate the rest to overseas troops through Operation Gratitude.

\”Kid Dentists\” Explain How to Avoid Cavities This Halloween

Worst candy for your teeth

• Hard candy
• Gummy candy
• Sticky candy
• Sour candy
• Candy corn
• Caramel candy

What makes these candies bad for your teeth? For sticky candy like taffy, caramel, and gummy candies, the problem is that they stick to your teeth. Because of this they can stay on your teeth longer and expose it to much more sugar and put your teeth at more risk than some other candies. Hard candies tend to be in your mouth for a lot longer. This exposes your teeth to so much more sugar and for a longer time. Sour candies are highly acidic and can break down tooth enamel quickly.