By Dr. Carol Lybrook
Editor’s Note: The author, Dr. Carol Lybrook, along with husband Dr. Scott Lybrook, operate Lybrook Dental Center in Fruita.

Costumes and treats go hand-in-hand when Halloween rolls around, but kids indulging in an excess of candy could be putting their teeth at risk for decay. According to the American Dental Association, if you’re a parent, you may not be able to prevent your child from eating candy — but you can take active steps to prevent tooth decay and promote good nutrition all year long.

Offer healthy alternatives to candy.
Sugar-free gum actually helps prevent cavities, making it a smart choice to drop into Halloween bags this year. You also can give sugar-free gum to your child to help neutralize the effects of sugary snacks after eating. Eating sweets causes damaging acids to form in the mouth. These acids continue to affect the teeth for at least 20 minutes before they are neutralized. Sugar-free gum contains the artificial sweeteners sorbitol and xylitol, which are effective in combating the bacteria in plaque and fighting the acid that eats away at enamel. The chewing motion also stimulates the flow of saliva, which helps cleanse the teeth.

Use fluoride to fight cavities.
The use of fluoride has been demonstrated to dramatically reduce the damage caused by tooth decay. The most common ways to use fluoride for cavity prevention are by using fluoridated toothpaste and other products and by drinking fluoridated water. Children should brush three times a day for two minutes with a small amount of fluoridated toothpaste and rinse with a fluoridated mouth rinse. Fluoride treatments, applied directly onto teeth, are also available in any dentist’s office. Fluoridated water generally is delivered through a community’s water supply. If your area does not have fluoridated water, consider buying fluoridated bottled water or asking your dentist for fluoride supplements for your children.

Teach your child to eat all foods in moderation.
Although sweets are blamed for much tooth decay, all foods — even healthy alternatives to candy, such as fruit and nuts — can promote tooth decay if eaten in excess. Children (like adults) should eat all foods in moderation. Read nutrition labels to avoid foods and drinks loaded with sugar, fructose and other sweeteners.

Take time during Halloween to brush up on your child’s oral health habits.
What better time than Halloween to treat your kids to a little reminder about the importance of healthy teeth and gums? Just a quick reminder of the importance of brushing, flossing and visiting the dentist is all that’s needed to help your child understand the importance of oral health. Treat your child to a special, new toothbrush and some flavored floss to reinforce the habit of proper dental care.

Set up a candy bank.
Allow your child to make daily withdrawals from the bank and monitor the progress. This way, you can control how much candy your child consumes.

So remember, Halloween doesn’t necessarily need to be sticky, sweet and scary to be fun. We at Lybrook Dental Center wish all ghosts, goblins and princesses a safe and fun Halloween.

This entry was posted on Thursday, October 22nd, 2009 at 9:04 pm and is filed under Family Dental. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.