Is your child planning on going trick-or-treating on Halloween night? If so, they are probably ecstatic about how much candy they will get and excited about the costume they are going to wear. As you may already know, Halloween can be a hard time for the smile, especially because of all the sugary treats involved. Fortunately, there are things you can do to help your child have a healthy Halloween smile in La Vista, Nebraska. Our dentist, Dr. Greg Weeder, is happy to tell you what those are:
-Before you send your child out trick-or-treating, make sure they eat a solid and satisfying meal. This can help lessen the temptation your child has to fill up on candy because they won’t be hungry.
-Motivate your child to select non-sticky and easy-to-eat candies when they are out ringing doorbells. These treats are less likely to harm the smile because they don’t stick to the teeth for long amounts of time and promote cavities.
-If your child comes home with sour candy, make sure they only eat a few in one sitting. Sour candies have acid in them, which is a substance that causes enamel erosion—the process of weakening and wearing away the enamel. So, the less sour candy they eat, the better.
-When your child sits down to eat their candy, make sure they don’t eat it all at one time. Ask them to only eat a few pieces and save the rest for another day. After they eat their pieces, make sure they drink a glass of water or thoroughly brush their teeth.
Do you have questions about how to help your child have a healthy Halloween smile? If so, please contact Weeder Pediatric Dentistry at 402-932-1177 when you can. Our dental team is here to help you in any way we can, and we look forward to giving you the answers you need!