For most children trick or treating and parties are a massive part of Halloween celebrations – this usually means mountains of sweet treats, which can easily turn into a nightmare! Denying children sweets and chocolate altogether can make them seem even more tempting, causing further problems. Help is at hand with our top tips for tackling Halloween treats!
- Give the kids a big dinner before trick or treating to fill them up, and set a limit for the number of houses visited.
- Stop children eating sweets one hour before bedtime.
- Supervise children when brushing teeth. Disclosing tablets stain any sticky plaque left on teeth, making it easily visible to remove. These are available at the practice.
- Take extra care of children with braces – sticky, chewy sweets can cause damage.
- Allow children to eat all their sweets in one go. This reduces decay as it is not the amount, but the frequency of sugar that affects decay.
- The stickier the sweet, the longer it clings to the tooth surface, taking longer to be removed by saliva and causing more damage. The same applies to hard, boiled sweets which remain in the mouth for longer periods. Sweets which can be eaten quickly generally tend to cause less damage.
- After Halloween keep any remaining sugary snacks for after mealtimes only.
- Small gifts like bubbles, coloring books and pencils etc can make a great alternative to sweets and chocolate.
- If you still find yourself left with mountains of wrapped sweets and chocolate after Halloween, why not consider donating them to a local Foodbank? You can find your nearest Foodbank here.
- If you’re having a party some great ideas and inspiration for healthy party food can be found here.
For free advice on your child’s dental health please call us on 01443 812559 (Ystrad Mynach) or 01443 451851 (Nelson)