Smile-Friendly Tips for Halloween

Louisville, KY

This may surprise you, but when Halloween comes around, we are actually OK with you splurging and indulging your sweet tooth. Like many things, moderation is the key. That’s because, if you binge on candy, all the sugar in those sweet treats can lead to serious tooth decay. Moreover, certain individuals are unable to have candy due to health reasons or allergies. Today on the blog, your family dentists in Kentuckiana wanted to provide some smile-friendly tips for the coming Halloween season.

Some trick-or-treating alternatives to candy

Light up the night: For kiddos who are scared of the dark, consider handing out glow sticks, bracelets or necklaces. These also make it easier for parents, and drivers, to keep an eye on those adorable trick-or-treaters as they tromp through your neighborhood.

Water bottles: Whether you are trick-or-treating from house to house, or wrangling the children that are, Halloween can be a thirsty endeavor—especially if you are living in a warmer climate. A small bottle of water can quench that thirst, while also helping to rinse off any accumulated sticky sugars that can become de facto landing pads for bacteria and plaque. To beef up protection against tooth decay, offer fluoridated water.

Chewing gum: You will want to get the parents’ permission before handing out gum, but this actually can benefit your oral health. If you chew sugar-free gum, especially after meals, this can lower your risk of tooth decay. This is because chewing gum stimulates the production of saliva, which serves as a natural means of scrubbing plaque and bacteria from your teeth. Just make sure you keep the gum out of reach of your pets; many sugar-free gums are sweetened with Xylitol, which is highly toxic for both cats and dogs.

Trinkets: Change things up, especially for the smallest trick-or-treaters by offering small toys like kazoos, yo-yos, and bouncy balls. You also can offer costume accessories, such as vampire teeth, eye patches, or plastic spider rings. Many of these items can be bought in bulk online, or at relatively low prices at your nearest discount store.

Get crafty: Offer some Halloween-themed stickers or pre-inked stamps as a change of pace from the usual cavalcade of candy. You also probably can find some fun Halloween pencils or erasers shaped like spooky ghosts or Jack O’Lanterns, which your trick-or-treaters can take to school the next day to stay in the Halloween spirit.

Pediatric dentistry in Louisville and Shepherdsville, Kentucky, and Jeffersonville, Indiana

Exceptional Dentistry offers the highest level of dental care to patients of any age, including children. Each of our dentists – Dr. Deb Shoemaker, Dr. Patrick Carroll and Dr. An Hamman – is a highly-trained practitioner as well as a parent. Backed by our team of oral health professionals, our Kentuckiana dentists possess the combination of technical knowledge, experience and patience to work with younger patients. We recognize that tooth decay is one of the most widespread chronic diseases in America and that it is the most prevalent chronic ailment among children and adolescents. To find out more about our services for your children, call (502) 423-7868 or contact us online.