If you take great care of your teeth all year long, you probably don’t have much to worry about on Halloween – as long as you continue to follow best practices for at-home dental care. But we are all susceptible to Halloween shenanigans and sweets, and making the wrong choices could damage your smile. Stay smart and stay safe while you and your ghouls trick or treat.
1. Eat Before You Treat
Whether you’re headed out with the kids for trick-or-treating or staying home to hand out sweets, eat a big, healthy meal beforehand. A nutritious, filling choice will keep your stomach sated so you don’t feel the need to taste test every kind of candy that comes your way.
Sure, have a few pieces of candy as dessert – this is the best time to ingest sugar because there is extra saliva working in your mouth to manage your meal. Ideally, by the time haunting rolls around you won’t want anymore sweets right away, or at least won’t eat so many that they’ll threaten your oral health.
2. Floss and Floss Some More
Toothpaste and toothbrush go together as a famous pair, but don’t forget about the other guy – floss. Not flossing is like washing without soap. You can’t fight bacteria on your teeth without flossing the gnarly stuff away. Over time, the build-up will become bad breath and, eventually, what’s left behind can cause serious tooth decay, gum disease, and physically impact your body by causing inflammation.
If you’re a daily flosser, congratulations. If you’re not, Halloween is a great time to start. Don’t ignore this essential piece of at-home dental care any night of the year.
3. Stick with Chocolate
Chocoholics everywhere should rejoice on Halloween, but sugar-hungry ghosts and goblins are the ones who get in the most trouble. If you’ve had dental problems in the past, make sure you avoid chewy, hard, or gummy candies that stay in your mouth for too long or cling to tooth enamel – we’re talking to you, lollipop lovers and jawbreaker devotees. That lingering sugar automatically increases the risk of tooth decay and the need for tooth-colored fillings.
Sugar-free candy is an option (though of course not as much fun) but it’s chocolate that is your biggest friend. Chocolate melts quickly, washes away easily, and doesn’t stick to tooth enamel like other sweets. Stick with soft chocolate and avoid nuts and nougats and your dental care will be in good shape.
4. Keep Water on Hand
If you don’t have an opportunity to clean your teeth during Halloween night – and let’s face it, most of us won’t have that chance until bedtime – make sure you have water ready. Drinking more water helps wash what’s unwanted from your teeth and knocks out debris and sweets from in between teeth.
5. Rely on Your Red Bank Dentist for Emergency Dental Care
October is National Dental Hygiene Month, a season designed to raise awareness of the importance of good dental health. Prioritize your teeth every day, including Halloween, and you shouldn’t need to see your Red Bank dentist more than twice a year for annual cleanings and regular dental care. But if you have a dental emergency because of a Halloween mishap, contact us right away.
