5 Easy Tips to Protect Your Children’s Teeth This Halloween

Posted on October 20, 2016 in Dentist, Health, Pediatric Clinic, smile

Do your children sort and savor Halloween candy like Susan Carraretto’s daughters? Here are 5 tips for keeping little teeth happy this time of year from 5 Minutes for Mom.

1. Know your child and set limits accordingly.

If your child naturally self regulates their candy consumption like my Julia and Sophia, don’t add unnecessary rules that might cause them to rebel. On the other hand, most kids will need help with guidelines or even strict limits.

In some families, it makes sense for the parents to store the candy out of reach and control when the kids can eat

2. Keep it fun.

Don’t let the worry over the sugar ruin the holiday. The fun of Halloween trick-or-treating is a huge part of childhood and ends so quickly.

Before you know it, your kids will be in high-school and the days of escorting them around the neighborhood clad in cute costumes to collect candy will be long gone.

3. Bring on the water.

Have water bottles filled with tap water on hand whenever they’re eating candy or chocolate.

The AAPD recommends tap water, as most communities fluoridate water supplies. Fluoride encourages “remineralization,” or strengthening of teeth to help prevent cavities.

Teach them to swish the water around in their mouths to rinse off their teeth as soon as they’re done eating.

4. Encourage extra brushing.

On Halloween night, do extra supervised tooth brushing, flossing and consider having them use a fluoride mouth rinse.

In the weeks following Halloween, whenever your kids want to eat some of their candy stash, have them agree to brush their teeth immediately afterward.

5. Trade in the worst candy offenders.

Not all sweet treats are created equal. AAPD created the helpful Candy Sorter Grid below to show the different rankings of Halloween candy, from treats to avoid to best choices.

Learn more about how Susan helps her two daughters continue to fight the Mouth Monsters: http://www.5minutesformom.com/109705/halloween-kids-teeth-mouthmonsters/

Susan is a mother of two young girls and co-founder of 5 Minutes for Mom, named among top parenting blogs by Technorati and The Wall Street Journal.

Article from: http://mouthmonsters.mychildrensteeth.org/5-easy-tips-to-protect-your-childrens-teeth-this-halloween/