Halloween is an exciting time in every kid’s life. They get to dress up as their favorite characters and hang out with their friends. But perhaps the most exciting part for your kids is the haul of candy they get throughout the night. In order to prevent your child from eating their way into an early pair of dentures, we’ve compiled some tips to have a happy Halloween for the kiddos and their teeth.
1. Trick or treat on a full stomach. As a child, it is tempting to eat the candy you’ve gotten while walking from house to house. By ensuring that your child has eaten a full, healthy meal, before going out in costume you are making sure to enforce a healthy pattern. If they’re full, there’s less of a chance they’ll be snacking through the night.
Plan their candy intake. Halloween is a great opportunity to start teaching children how to make good decisions. By having a plan set, saying how much of their Halloween they can eat each day, you can monitor their sugar intake and also teach them how to enjoy things in moderation.
Choose the kind of candy they can eat. Hard candies can stay in the mouth for a long time. The longer sugar stays in the mouth, the worse the chances of tooth decay, so chewable and less sugary snacks are always better.
2.Give away excess candy. There are a lot of organizations that take excess Halloween candy to homes for the elderly, children’s hospital, and even U.S. troops serving overseas. After trick or treating, have your kid separate their candy into what they want to keep and what they want to donate. In fact, your friends here at Babylon Dental Care are also holding a “Candy Buy Back” event on Wednesday, November 1st! We will be buying back unopened candy and will be donating it overseas for a great cause. We’ll pay you a dollar-per-pound for up to 5 pounds of candy. What better way to stay healthy, get rid of that excess candy, and help others in need?
3. Have your home give out healthier snacks or toys. Some healthier alternatives to candy are animal crackers, rice cakes, pretzels, and granola bars. Silly Putty or Playdough are also some fun alternatives that kids enjoy.
4. Get some exercise while trick or treating. Halloween is a good time to walk all around the neighborhood and get some good miles under your belt. Your kids won’t realize they’re exercising if they’re walking around in costume with friends.
5. Make sure they brush. As the staple in any good oral hygiene, it is crucial to make sure that your child brushes their teeth immediately after eating candy. Sticky and gummy candies can stay on teeth for hours until saliva finally washes it away.
6. Visit a Babylon Dental Care Dentist. Regular check-ups with a dentist are so important, especially in the weeks after the candy craze of Halloween. A dentist can make sure that there are no early signs of tooth decay or any other growing condition.
Halloween is a fun holiday, and every kid looks forward to celebrating it. By setting an early precedent for healthy Halloween behavior, you can instill good hygiene habits. You can turn this fun holiday into a healthy one by following these easy tips!
