If you have trick-or-treaters in your house, you’re probably finalizing those last few details to make your family’s Halloween special. You might need to add some finishing touches to a costume or two. You’re all stocked up on empty pumpkin buckets waiting to be filled.
Trick-or-treating can be just as fun for the adults, but despite the excitement, every parent has that nagging fear in the back of their mind about what all the extra sugar might do to their kid’s teeth after the Halloween festivities are over.
That’s what our team at Cosmetic Dental Associates is here for! We want to make sure your family’s teeth are strong and healthy. That means being there to see you through Halloween and all the candy it brings with it.
Today, we’re giving you some helpful tips on how to protect your family’s smiles during your trick-or-treating adventures this Halloween season. We will share the tricks this particular holiday can play on your teeth and offer a treat for combating each one!

Trick: Halloween poses a risk for dental emergencies.

Treat: You can easily avoid a Halloween dental emergency!

As fun as Halloween is for families, it’s not without its risks. One of them happens to be the dreaded dental emergency. It makes sense considering what we know about how sugar affects your teeth and the increased risk of trick-or-treating accidents and mishaps.
You might be out with the kids enjoying time with neighborhood friends, and your little trick-or-treater could trip and fall on a curb, sidewalk, or porch step. Hey, they’re excited! So maybe they get a little ahead of themselves and lose their footing or can’t see a step in the dark of night.
Falling and injuring a tooth is a common dental emergency on Halloween. But these kinds of accidents can easily be avoided with a little planning ahead.
Sit down with your kids before trick-or-treating and explain the importance of staying on a well-lit path. Tell them you’ll have a flashlight to light their way and that they should stay close to you so they don’t trip and fall.
Another way to prevent these sort of mishaps is to make sure your child’s costume doesn’t fall below the ankle or fit too loosely around their feet. Anything that makes walking more difficult is going to be even more problematic in the dark.
You can also help your kids avoid dental emergencies by keeping them away from hard candy. Younger kids are especially susceptible to breaking their teeth with hard candy because they aren’t patient enough to suck on a piece of candy until it dissolves. They want to start crunching down on it right away, which can cause them to crack, chip, or break a tooth.

Trick: Gooey, sticky, or hard candy can hurt your teeth.

Treat: Choose softer candy, and practice moderation!

Speaking of hard candy, there are other sweet treats that can hurt your child’s teeth such as anything that is particularly gooey, stringy, and sticky. You’ll find this is candy bars with caramel or nougat.
Also, candy such as taffy or anything similar in texture can be harmful simply because it literally sticks to teeth and is hard to remove with regular brushing. The best candy for your child is going to be softer, like milk chocolate bars or even sweets like cupcakes or cookies.
You can use your best judgment to make sure your child is making good choices when it comes to indulging their Halloween sweet tooth!

Trick: Too much Halloween candy can lead to cavities.

Treat: Prevent Halloween cavities in a couple of ways.

Even the ‘good’ candy can put your child at risk for cavities. But luckily, you can prevent that from happening with a few simple tips.
First, you can keep the candy bowl hidden and only ration it out for an after dinner treat. This will help them practice moderation, and it will make them less likely to overindulge all throughout the day.
You can also remind them to rinse their mouth out with water after they’ve eaten candy to give their teeth some extra help staying clean. You don’t want them to overdo the brushing, but with the extra sugar they consume this time of year, rinsing with water is a great way to keep their teeth clean between their normal oral hygiene routine.

Treat Your Family To A Dental Cleaning!

It’s always a treat for our team at Cosmetic Dental Associates to see your family at those routine dental checkups! After the Halloween fun has ended, be sure to schedule your family’s next appointment so we can hear all about your trick-or-treating adventures!
Call our San Antonio office today at 210-951-4444 (Medical Center) 210-942-5047 (Alamo Ranch) or fill out our online form to request an appointment.