Creative Ways to Limit Halloween Treats
October is the month that makes children cheer and parents sneer. Halloween is here! It is the holiday that leads candy sales for the year. Do you dread the sugar rush and teeth issues that result from candy consumption during this holiday? Continue reading for some creative ways to celebrate and limit the sugary Halloween treats!
- Go trick-or-treating on a full stomach. Plan out your events to happen after everyone has eaten a meal. Staying full can curb the desire to overindulge on sugary treats.
- Eat treats in moderation. It is easy to overeat sweet, delicious treats. However, overeating sweets can lead to dental problems, such as decay and cavities. Sometimes, even healthy treats can be too much of a good thing. While fruit and nuts are healthy options, many times, they induce similar sugar reactions to those of their unhealthy counterparts. By limiting the amount of sugar you consume, you’re helping out your teeth.
- Be selective with your sweet treats. Try to avoid candy that is sticky, gooey, or too acidic such as sour candy. The best option is something like chocolate, which melts easily and doesn’t stick to teeth.
- Become creative with your child’s candy. Create different ways in which you can be in control of how your child enjoys their candy. One example is the candy bank. Similar to a traditional bank, your child can “withdraw” only the number of candy pieces that you allow.
- Choose non-food goodies for your children or trick-or treaters this year. While candy is most often associated with Halloween, many children love getting other goodies as well. A few ideas would be stickers, loose change, play-doh, plastic rings, or vampire teeth.
- Continue to use fluoride treatments to reduce the damage that is done to teeth by sugary foods. Fluoride can be found in toothpaste and mouthwash. Encourage children to brush twice daily and use a fluoride mouthwash to help combat any decay that is forming. We also offer fluoride treatments in our office.
These are all ways that can help combat the sugary effect Halloween candy can have on the teeth of the children in your life. If you have any questions about how you can add a fluoride treatment to your child’s next visit, please call our Wayne, NJ office today.
