Your Dental Health Survival Guide For Halloween!

Halloween is just around the corner & although it may look a little different then other years, it still comes with ghosts, goblins & goodies!! which can mean bags of free sugary treats that can play some unwanted tricks on teeth if you’re not careful.

But don’t hang up your costumes just yet! Halloween is all about dressing up & having fun. Its Ok to eat the Halloween goodies as a splurge as long as your dental health is looked after as well.

Here some dental tips to survive the spooky season.

Timing of treats:

To help protect your teeth, make sure to eat a healthy meal before trick or treating. This will hopefully decrease the amount of treats consumed while wandering the neighbourhood.

If there are any treats left over, eat the Halloween goodie (& other sugary foods) with meals or shortly after mealtime. Avoid snacking on the treats throughout the day or set aside a specific snack time. Salvia is increase during meals, which helps to rinse away sugary food particles & can help reduce the risk of cavities.

Choose lollies carefully: 

Try & avoid hard candy; Aside from how often you snack, the length of the time sugary food is in your mouth plays a role in tooth decay.

If you have ever eaten a minty you will know sticky sweets cling to your teeth & the stickier the sweet the longer they will take to get washed away by salvia increasing that risk of tooth decay.

Beware of the stash:

Its tempting to keep the lolly jar around, but your teeth will thank you if you limit your stash. If your family haven’t eaten what they have collected during Halloween then decide what you will do with the leftovers. Some ideas could be to take them to work or give them to other family members. But don’t let them lay around home to be devoured.

Drink more water:

Drinking more water is not only great for your overall health such as aiding digestion & circulation but it also the creation of saliva & help prevent tooth decay.

Maintain a healthy diet:

It seems obvious but the foods you choose as fuel & how often you eat them affects your general health & that includes your gums & teeth.

During Halloween we are bombarded by advertising & the hype around the spooky season, which is invariably means we are subject to potentially more lollies & chocolates. Just like other events throughout the year such as Easter & Christmas. Its ok to treat yourself & your family, but it is also important to maintain a healthy diet to balance it all out.

Continue your oral health routine: 

Brushing twice a day & flossing once a day is always the best base line to follow for your oral health. But it is even more important to be vigilant with your oral hygiene regime during events like Halloween. Brush your teeth for 2 minutes with toothpaste morning & night. Make sure you clean between your teeth once a day by flossing.

Booking in with D Bay Dental:

An important part in continuing your oral hygiene regime is maintaining your regular dental check ups & clean. To make your appointment with us at D Bay Dental please call us on 07) 3203 0162 or alternatively you can book an appointment online on our website.