Halloween is around the corner, which for
most children means bags of free candy and a
chance to build up the stockpile
of sweets for the winter. Being one of the most fun times of the year for
families, Halloween can also present parents with a variety of health and
safety challenges.
The
American Dental Association, America's premier source of oral health
information, has prepared a list of 10 suggestions to help parents maintain
good oral health for their children around the Halloween holiday and throughout
the year.
1.
Consume Halloween candy and other sugary foods with meals.
Saliva production increases during meals and helps neutralize acids produced by
bacteria in your mouth and helps rinse away food particles.
2.
Avoid hard candy and other sweets that stay in your mouth for a long
time.
Besides how often you
snack, the length of time food is in your mouth plays a role in tooth decay.
Unless it is a sugar-free product, candies that stay in the mouth for a long
period of time subject teeth to prolonged acid attack, increasing the risk for
tooth decay.
3.
Avoid sticky candies that cling to your teeth.
The stickier candies, like
taffy and gummy bears, take longer to get washed away by saliva, increasing the
risk for tooth decay.
Regular dental exams not only help to decrease a patient's risk of oral
diseases, such as cavities and periodontal (gum) disease, but they may also
help to diagnose other, sometimes life-threatening, medical conditions. 
