Halloween is less than a week away! Are you ready for the big day? Many families in the area will be hitting the streets in our community, trick or treating and bringing home a haul of sugary treats. However, your Mansfield, TX, dentists know that too much sugar is a recipe for tooth decay. We have a few tips for families to help protect smiles from cavities!
Halloween and the Onset of Cavities
What makes Halloween such a spooky time for dentists? The candy. When kids consume items high in sugar, especially if those options are chewy and sticky, this means sugar is trapped on or between the teeth. Bacteria will begin to break down these stray sugar particles, a process that leads to elevated levels of oral acidity and layers of sticky plaque coating the teeth. Over time, plaque can begin to weaken and erode the protective layer of outer tooth enamel, enabling harmful bacteria to reach the more sensitive inner structure and causing a cavity to form. Children will eventually experience aching or sensitive teeth, and an increased risk of premature tooth loss!
Keeping Smiles Healthy
To help keep smiles healthy this year, be sure your little ones start their day by brushing the teeth twice for two minutes. They should do the same before bed and also floss in between each of their teeth. These actions help remove sugar and food particles, reducing the risk of cavities. A routine visit every six months for a checkup and cleaning is good too, so we monitor the smile as it grows and develops, and also remove plaque buildup to prevent cavities. At home, you can also limit how much candy they eat each day, and encourage them to drink a glass of water afterward to help cleanse the mouth.
Candy-Free Treats
You can also take steps to help protect other smiles in your neighborhood! Just because candy is a staple, doesn’t mean you have to handout sugary treats. Instead, you can offer equally fun temporary tattoos, stickers, packages of crayons, or even Halloween party favors, like spider rings or little toy skeletons or bats. Children still receive a fun treat and don’t put their smiles at risk. This is also great for children with food allergies that may mean discarding of most of their trick or treat haul anyway. If you have any questions, then please contact our team today. We’re here to help your family enjoy healthy smiles of years to come!
Does Your Child Need an Appointment?
We would like to help area families enjoy healthy smiles and avoid painful cavities. For more information on our preventive and general procedures, then schedule a consultation by calling our dentist’s office in Mansfield, TX, today at 817-473-6227.
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