It’s that time of year again! Time to take the kids to a fall festival or even go door to door trick or treating around the neighborhood.
It’s the one night every year that children get to dress as their favorite superhero, princess, or other character and have a ton of fun doing it!
In other words, Halloween is a fun night for all!
However, as a parent who is concerned about your child’s dental health, you know that all of that fun (and the pile of candy that goes along with it) can be detrimental to your child’s oral health.
In fact, the scariest creature of them all is just waiting, ready to do some damage to your teeth!
We call him the “cavity monster.”
So what’s the solution? How do you ensure that your child has a fun night on Halloween without getting spooked by the “cavity monster?”
In this article, we’re going to give you 5 tips that will ensure your kids have a blast this Halloween, while at the same time helping moms, dads, and grandparents avoid the cavity monster.
1 Eat the candy on Halloween night
It’s important to let your child enjoy their candy without overindulging. According to this article from Dental Patient News, deprivation doesn’t work, but moderation is key.
If you want your child to enjoy the fun, festivities, and even the “bad candy” that comes along with Halloween, a helpful tip is to limit the consumption specifically to Halloween night. By doing this, your child is much less likely to overindulge, and you limit the amount of time sugar is in contact with your child’s teeth (because they can brush them immediately).
Which leads us to our next point…
2 Accompany your child to the bathroom to ensure they brush & floss thoroughly
You may already do this, or your child may be responsible enough to brush their teeth thoroughly already. Since you know that your child is consuming a larger-than-usual quantity of sugary foods, we believe it is imperative to make sure they brush their teeth really good on Halloween night.
So why not make a game out of it?
Mom or dad can get their toothbrush, take the kiddos to the bathroom, and have a “brushing contest.” You know your child better than anyone, so do something that will make brushing teeth fun, especially on Halloween night.
3 Use Halloween candy as a “teachable moment” on moderation
We touched on moderation above, but Halloween really is a great time to teach your children about the importance of moderation.
Teaching your child to establish boundaries and healthy habits from a young age is crucial to ensure they know “when to quit” on other issues as they get older.
While we know it’s tough for children to control themselves sometimes, introducing the idea of moderation at a young age will not only improve your child’s oral health, but will help them in many other walks of life, as well.
4 Mix in healthy snacks with the candy
If you have any healthy snacks around the house (fruit, nuts, etc.) then mixing these in with Halloween candy will ensure that your child still gets some nutrients from their “late night candy feast.”
We know it’s not easy, but it’s a good way to make Halloween night just a little healthier!
5 Encourage your kids to “share” their candy
Sharing is caring, right? We all want our children to share. Not only as kids, but we also want to cultivate them into generous people who are giving of their time and resources as they get older.
If your child already has a lot of candy in their goodie bag, encourage them to share it with someone who has less than them. This isn’t just a great strategy for reducing the size of the “candy avalanche” you’ll see in your house later, but will also help you teach your child the value of giving to others.
The bottom line: Have fun, stay safe, and eat responsibly!
Always make sure that you keep your child close on Halloween night, as traffic tends to get out of control in some areas. We want you to have fun, stay safe, and make sure that Halloween night is a blast for your entire family.
If you happen to be in or around the West Babylon area, and you know it’s time for a dental checkup to avoid the cavity monster, call our office today!
We would also like to encourage you to participate in our Halloween candy buy-back on November 2nd (the Wednesday after Halloween). Bring your unopened candy and we will pay you $1 per pound up to 5 pounds. All candy will be donated overseas for a great cause.
