Halloween is just around the corner, and along with it being the time for Jack-o’-Lanterns and costumes, it is also a time for a full bag of Trick-or-Treat candy.
Let’s face it, candy is part of the Halloween tradition, however, it is something that can be approached in a dental-friendly way. It can also be a great opportunity to step up parent-led brushing and really bring your “A-Game” to morning and nightly brushing this month.
The main thing to remember this spooky season is to stay away from sticky, sugary candies. These are the treats that tend to cause the most problems, especially with the molars. A lot of molars, because of their anatomy, have deep pits and deep grooves that brushing can’t reach. Sometimes the microscopic cavity-causing residue is still present in the molar grooves even as long as 16 hours after brushing.
This sugary residue feeds the bacteria that everyone already has in their mouth. Once the bacteria digest the candy’s sugars, harmful acid is produced, which is what actually eats away at the teeth, causing soft spots and tooth decay.
Sealants, which are protective coatings placed on our teeth, are one way to protect us from the residue that sticky candies leave, especially on the molars.
The protective coating will fill in the grooves so that food and other things can’t get stuck down in the teeth. I would strongly encourage parents to talk with their child’s dentist about sealants and how they can help prevent decay from starting.
As a parent and also a pediatric dentist, I expect my kids to eat candy, but it’s important to make an effort to try and steer them to candies that aren’t sticky. I brace myself for the full treat bags my kids will lug home on Halloween night as well as all the candies and wrappers I will find around the house this month.
So, what are some good alternatives to sugary, sticky candy?
You definitely have options. For example, M&Ms and other chocolates tend to melt and rinse away a lot easier than say Skittles or gummies. Melty chocolate can be a better option instead of super-sticky gummy-based candies. It’s difficult because gummies are everywhere now. We see a lot of the gummies and candies are eaten at school, and often gummy snacks are given for rewards. We would encourage a substitute from the sugary gummies, even in the schools, but especially for a high-candy consumption time period such as Halloween.
If parents decide to go down the gummy and sticky candy route, we would recommend trying to find sugar-free options. The same goes for chewing gums. Sugar-free gums are always better than the high-sugar alternative. Chewing sugar-containing gum is like pounding sugar into the grooves of baby teeth and putting the teeth at a much higher risk for decay. Sugar-free gum is a much better option!
We can all work together to reduce the risk of tooth decay in our children and for the children in our community. You can visit the website www.skypediatricdentistry.com, check us out on Facebook, email info@skypediatricdentistry.com or call 270-715-5437 for more information on the practice and to schedule an appointment at our Bowling Green, Hopkinsville and our Glasgow locations. Keep brushing, flossing and limit candy-snacking to keep spooky cavities away!
-by Dr. Mandy Ashley
About the Authors: Dr. Mandy Ashley and Dr. Madison Galloway are Board Certified Pediatric Dentists proud to serve the communities of Bowling Green, Hopkinsville and Glasgow!
SKY Pediatric Dentistry has been providing dental care to children and adults with special needs since 2013. As board-certified specialists in dentistry for children, our team strives to make going to the dentist as fun as possible while maintaining high-quality treatment and preventative measures. We tailor treatment plans to each child and offer a wide range of treatment options, including sedation, in-office general anesthesia and also hospital-based dentistry. With over 25 YEARS of doctor experience, SKY Pediatric Dentistry is a great choice for children’s dental care in Bowling Green, Hopkinsville and Glasgow, too!
