Halloween!!

Brushing and Beating Cavities

Halloween is a wonderful time of year! It’s filled with jack-o-lanterns, spooky movies, and candy. Lots and lots of candy. But consuming too much candy can be terrifying to your mouth. Candy contains a copious amounts of sugar that can lead to tooth decay. Tooth decay can form when a sticky film of bacteria, called plaque, builds up on your teeth. Plaque produces acids that destroy your tooth enamel. When we eat foods with high sugar content, such as candy, it only exacerbates the process. If left untreated, a cavity will form.

How do you keep spooky smiles safe this Halloween?

Used these 6 tips to keep the horrors of tooth decay at bay.

Eat a healthy meal. Eating a well-balanced meal before leaving your house will prevent from overindulging in candy, ultimately making the candy last longer. Be cautious of natural sugars as well. Consuming high amounts of any type of sugar is unhealthy for your mouth and body.

Drink water. Make sure to drink lots of water while eating candy. The water will help wash the sugar off your teeth, minimizing plaques ability to form and stick to your teeth.

Choose chocolate. Chocolate is the better choice because your saliva is able to break down the particles left on your teeth. Chewy and sticky candies, gummies and even fruit snacks are more likely to stick to your teeth and are harder to wash off.

Portion control. Limiting yourself and your loved one’s candy intake will prevent from over consuming sugar. After a well-balanced meal is the best time to enjoy a sweet treat. But make sure to wash it down with a glass of water!

Brush before bed. Make sure to brush your teeth for at least two minutes before going to bed, but make sure it isn’t too soon after eating. Brushing immediately after consuming acidy food can be more harmful that good. Some foods weaken the enamel of your teeth, waiting at least 20-minutes will give the bacterial enough time to process the leftover food particles. Brushing away left over sugars and food particles will help eliminate the potential of cavities. And don’t forget to floss!

Following these tips will help keep you and you’re little monster’s teeth healthy this Halloween season.

Article by Alyssia Ready, Delta Dental of WA