It’s almost Halloween. Time to get your costumes on and your candy bags filled. Are you a parent worried about your child’s health during this spooky time of year? Take a look below for some tricks to help keep your child away from a horrific oral cavity and towards a bright dental future.
1. Try Something Different
Instead of taking your kid trick or treating for candy, talk to them and come up with something different to do for Halloween. Getting your children involved in the planning will keep you both happy and your child’s teeth and gums healthy. Do you want some ideas?
Try taking your kid to the park and playing an outdoor game for Halloween, then watching a scary movie. Make a deal with your child to take them shopping for a new toy instead of going house after house to get candies. What about a séance? There are plenty of creative ideas you can come up with to help prevent the sugar rush of Halloween.
2. Avoid Masks
If you decide on letting your child go trick or treating and they want to dress up with a scary mask, try suggesting a painted face instead. Why? Masks can be made up of toxic materials which, when worn, can seep into your child’s body possibly leading to an oral cavity disaster. Painting your little one’s face with non-toxic paint is fun for both of you and makes it easier for them to see than a mask that interferes with their vision when trick or treating.
You can paint anything on your child’s face, from polka dots to spider legs, let your imagination run wild!
3. Eat Sugary Treats Only Just After A Meal
Feed your kid a delicious meal and then, and only then, allow him/her to dive into their candy bag and do a little bit of pigging out. Why? A meal allows your child’s saliva production to increase which helps protect his/her teeth from the sugars in the candy about to be consumed.
A yummy meal and delicious candy, yay!
4. Wait Then Brush and Floss Those Teeth and Gums
It is important for your child to brush and floss their teeth and gums after eating and drinking but be sure he/she waits 30 minutes after consumption to do so. Why wait? Some foods can soften your tooth enamel agitating your teeth while in this weakened state. So, remember, you should not brush and floss directly after eating, wait until your teeth gain a bit more strength back before you clean up those pearly whites!
Regular brushing and flossing will help get rid of food remnants that stick around and cause dental problems.
