Halloween is right around the corner and with it, comes the delicious candy kids crave. Kids love to satisfy their sweet tooth with some of their favorite candies, and this is the one time of year they can do it without feeling guilty about it. Candy is pretty much sacred around this time of year, and adults should allow kids to enjoy their favorite sweets within reason without taking the fun out of the holiday.
To put it into perspective, if children ate Bon Bons, Jelly Babies, Wine Gums, Rhubarbs, Custards and other popular retro candies (that have become as popular today as they were yesterday) for the entire night of Halloween, it wouldn’t hurt them because tooth decay isn’t something that occurs overnight. But in order to keep your child’s mouth protected daily, parents need to enforce healthy habits to keep their teeth protected. These practices will ensure that their children’s teeth are always healthy.
This task isn’t very difficult, but first, it’s important for parents to understand all of the candy their kids enjoy. Certain candies, such as toffee, gums, and lollipops tend to stay in a child’s mouth much longer than other candies, which can prove to be harmful to their teeth. But if the child brushes their teeth after eating them, they shouldn’t have a problem. Kids with dental appliances such as braces should not have these types of candy because the appliances are made of materials that could negatively react with the candy and cause a problem. Other treats, including Blackjacks, Strawberry Lollies, and Toffee Treacle are some of the most favorite candies in the world, but if kids protect their teeth they can enjoy them even more. Teeth-friendly choices such as candy bars that don’t take a lot of time to finish are the best types of candy to purchase if you’re buying candy for people who will be trick or treating inside your home.
Make no mistake about it – sugar causes both cavities and tooth decay, especially in kids. This can only be possible if the child has eaten too much candy or hasn’t done anything to protect their teeth, such as regular brushing and flossing. Parents can easily teach this procedure to their children every time they want something sweet to eat. Right after the kids are finished trick or treating and have eaten a large batch of candy, they should thoroughly brush their teeth right away or rinse their mouths out at least 4 times to wash the sugar out of their mouths. While fluoride water is recommended, ordinary tap water will work if that is not an option. You want to decrease a child’s sugar exposure so that it won’t stay on their teeth for any prolonged period of time.
Adults also enjoy candy as much as children, if not more so, which is why even they should be able to splurge this time of year as well. Enjoy the candy and the sugary memories it brings you, and share the joys of Jelly Bean Love Hearts, Friendship Rings, Fried Eggs, and Drumstick Lollies with your children. No one has to hold back from this at all. Just make sure you take good care of your teeth afterward.