As you’re preparing for this year’s Halloween, don’t forget to create a plan to keep your teeth healthy and cavity free, while still enjoying sweet treats in moderation! At Crystal Dental, our team encourages all patients, from little ghouls to older goblins, to enjoy Halloween safely and smartly! Here are the top dental tips from the distinguished Los Angeles dentist, Dr. Moradzadeh, to help keep you and your children’s teeth healthy during this spooky season!
1. Choose Certain Candies Over Others
Some types of candy are less harmful for your teeth than others. As a general rule of thumb, it’s best to avoid sticky, hard, and sour candies that can linger between teeth for days. When sugar lingers on your teeth, it eats away at your enamel. Chocolate candies are a better option because they are less likely to stick to the teeth and they wash away easier than sticky candy, like gummies and taffy.
2. Candy During Meals
Eating candy during a meal or right after a meal makes it less tempting for children to stuff themselves with candy as it gets later into the night. In addition, the production of saliva during meals helps to wash away bacteria and damaging sugars left behind from sweet treats.
3. Drink Lots of Water
Drinking water not only decreases your appetite, but it also cleans the teeth and gums, and minimizes the build-up of bacteria. Be sure to keep you and your children hydrated this Halloween!
4. Reduce Sugary Beverages
Try to limit your child’s consumption of soda, flavored sports drinks, and sugary juice pouches this Halloween. When teeth come in frequent contact with sugary beverages, the risk of tooth decay increases exponentially. If your child is consuming a lot of candy, they should avoid sugary drinks completely and stick to drinking water.
5. Candy in Moderation
Spread out your child’s candy consumption over a month by limiting their daily intake. Try having your child pick one piece of candy as a “treat” for the day instead of gorging on an immense amount of candy in one sitting.
6. Good Dental Habits
It is so important that your child brush and floss properly. Your child should brush their teeth for two minutes and floss between teeth to eliminate all of the food particles that a toothbrush cannot reach. For every hour that sugar stays on their teeth, there is a higher chance of developing a cavity.
Stay safe this Halloween! Seeing a dentist regularly helps to keep your oral health in top shape and allows your dentist in Los Angeles to watch for developments that may lead to other health issues. For further information or to schedule an appointment with Dr. Moradzadeh please contact Crystal Dental Center at 213.748.8448 or visit www.CrystalDentalCenters.com to learn more.
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