Happy Halloween to you all! We hope you remember to take care of your teeth this Halloween especially if you get a haul of sweets trick or treating! We’ve gathered some great tips from the Australian Dental Association to help you remember how to look after your teeth whilst indulging in the Halloween festivities.
Look to the ADA’s swag of tooth tips below to slash your decay risk this Halloween:
– eat your sweet treats at mealtime: the saliva produced to help digest larger quantities of food can also cleanse and buffer mouth pH from acids caused by food and drink;
– chocolate wins over candy: dark chocolate has much lower sugar quantities than other chocolates and lollies;
– rinse your mouth with water: after eating anything sugary to rinse foods and drinks from the mouth;
– consume your Halloween party soft drink with a straw: that way the liquid goes straight to the back of the throat, bypassing teeth;
– when shopping for treats: go for treats that aren’t sticky and don’t sit in clumps in back molar teeth – sticky sweets are more difficult to remove and linger longer, increasing tooth decay risk, and;
– brush teeth twice a day and floss daily: whatever the date!
“Most people won’t know this, but it’s better to consume sweets over a shorter period, than to repeatedly expose your teeth to them over a prolonged period of time,” says Canberra dentist and Australian Dental Association (ADA) President Dr Carmelo Bonanno.
“This is because every assault of sugar that goes into your mouth feeds bacteria which create acid that dissolve the tooth enamel, exposing the mouth to decay. Doing this repeatedly throughout the day, over a few days or in the week after Halloween, is cumulative.
“Smart alternatives to sweet treats are a great option for young mouths, like little games, toys or sports gear,” suggested Dr Bonanno.
We hope you all find these top tips useful and enjoy your Halloween!
