Responsible Oral Health During Halloween

Halloween is upon us and this means candy will be everywhere you turn.  It’s in the office, at social events, in our home, and of course our kids are bringing home bags of it on Halloween night.  It’s hard to resist the sweet treats entirely, but there are some responsible steps you can take to keep your teeth healthy through this challenging time.

First, limit the amount of candy you eat.  Set a goal and stick to it.  If you can’t give up candy entirely during this season, limit yourself to one or two pieces per day for a few days.  Or only allow yourself a treat on the actual holiday to avoid over indulging.  Stay away from hard candies that can be particularly tough on teeth.  Sucking on hard candy keeps the destructive sugar in your mouth longer, making it a perfect environment for bacteria to grow.  Chewy candy that gets stuck to your teeth can also cause problems as the sugar gets stuck in small crevices in the teeth.

Keep your mouth clean by following your oral health routine consistently through this time period.  In addition, drink water with your candy to keep the saliva going and rinse away some of the sugar.  Another good tip is to chew sugarless gum with sorbitol after eating candy which has been proven to help with oral health.  If you notice any discomfort while eating your candy, make an appointment with your Miami dentist as soon as you can.  If a cavity is starting, it’s best to get it treated as soon as possible and prevent further decay.  Enjoy this Halloween season and indulge if you have to, but do so responsibly.  It’s so easy to over do it if you are not careful.