We are only 18 days away from Halloween and keeping your teeth healthy is something you definitely don’t want to forget. Halloween is a fun time to go door-to-door trick-or-treating with your children, nieces, nephews, and grandchildren and see their faces light up with a bag full of candy when they arrive home. While the treats are always fun, there can be a few tricks lurking in those bags too. We want to help you keep Halloween safe and fun for all your loved ones.

What’s in the Bag?

County Dental in New York recommends the following tips to care for your teeth and stay safe during the holiday. Candy inspection is important before you and your children dive into the trick-or-treat bag! Here are a few things you don’t want to forget while your loved ones enjoy all the fun.

The Candy Inspection

• Inspect candy and its wrappers prior to eating any of the candy on Halloween.
• Sticky candies like taffy and gummy bears take longer to get washed away by saliva.
• Unless sugar free, candies that stay in your mouth for a long period of time increase the risk of tooth decay.
• Avoid beverages with added sugar and drinking fluoridated water can help in tooth decay prevention.
• Eat candy with meals. Dentists recommend this because saliva production increases during meals and helps cancel out acids bacteria creates in your mouth.
• Don’t forget to brush your teeth and floss that night before bed.
• At County Dental, we are always concerned about our patients’ whole dental health and safety, so here are just a few more basic tips to remember to keep you and your loved ones safe.
  

  
  Trick-or-Treating Safety Tips

  • Cross the street at corners, using traffic signals.
  • Teach children to make eye contact with drivers before crossing the street.
  • Always walk on sidewalks. If a sidewalk is unavailable, face traffic while walking.
  • Trick or treat with an adult.
  • Make sure costumes have reflective tape or stickers and choose light color costumes.
  • Carry glow sticks or flashlights.
  • Coloring activities for kids.
  • Download pumpkin carving stencils, Halloween activity sheets and more