Hi Everyone!
We hope you all had a great week so far, Dr.B gives us some advice on Halloween candy, which to limit, avoid and the ones we can eat without feeling guilty!
Children love Halloween. From dressing up in costumes and “Trick-or-Treating” all the way to feasting on all that candy, there is no other day like it. However, eating too much candy for too long greatly increases the risk of tooth decay (cavities). Cavities can start when bacteria digest the sugars and produce acids that damage the teeth.
Here are some valuable tips to help prevent cavities:
Treats to hand out:
* Bad: Avoid sticky candies (toffees, caramels, gummy bears and even some dried fruits) as well as hard candies (lollipops and jawbreakers) that last a long time in the mouth.
* Better choices are candies and treats that don’t last long in the mouth such as plain chocolate.
* Best choices include sugarless or low sugar treats such as sugarless gum, sunflower seeds, nuts and sugarless lollipops.
Parent Strategies:
* Get your children to trade “Bad” treats for stickers or something they value. That doesn't mean that you, the parent, should eat all those bad treats!
* Allow eating of treats in moderation and pick a good time such as right after a meal when there is a better flow of saliva to buffer and wash away sugar.
* Brush and floss after snacking. If your children don’t have access to a toothbrush, such as at school or at a friend’s house, then give them some sugarless gum to keep the saliva flowing and suggest rinsing with water after treats.
Happy Halloween!
Dr. Michael Bulger