This month’s blog coincides with the end of October when some folk like to join in with the Halloween festival.
Part of the charm of Halloween includes dressing up and venturing out into the community to experience the thrill of ‘trick and treating’ while collecting a load of sweet treats.
This spooky festival has a dark side for teeth, which can turn into a terrifying dental nightmare!
To help prepare for this season here are some helpful hints to reduce the threat of dental dangers.
Sugar is the true villain, but not all sugars are the same. Sticky and sour types of sugar can be even more destructive to our teeth.
When sugar mixes with bacteria an acid is formed and the longer the acid is left on the tooth surface the greater the risk of a cavity forming.
- Avoid Sour lollies as this toxic acidic brew increases the acid effect and weakens the protective enamel surface making the teeth susceptible to decay and tooth sensitivity from enamel erosion.
- Avoid Sticky lollies as caramel and other chewy lollies cling to the hard-to-reach crevices of the teeth allowing the acid to linger for longer.
- Drink and rinse with water after enjoying any sweets to swish away some of the sugar particles and reduce the acidic level of your mouth.
- Ensure a good tooth brushing routine and flossing to remove bacteria and reduce the acid exposure after sweet treats.
- Limit the length of time sugar is in contact with the teeth. Longer lasting hard lollipops (e.g. chuppa-chups) prolong the exposure of the damaging sugar acid. Also, it’s better to consume sweets together at a mealtime once a day than to spread them out over several hours.
- Less is best so try to think of alternative treats to hand-out like sugar free gum or fun small toys. Xylitol is a fabulous natural sugar substitute that inhibits the growth of dental bacteria and can be found in some sugar free lollies.
- Eat a good meal before venturing out to reduce the temptation to fill up on lollies.
- Schedule a Dental checkup after Halloween so we can check your teeth are strong and there are no emerging dental nightmares.
If you are celebrating Halloween we hope you have fun, but we also hope you can keep your loved ones’ teeth safe and prevent any dental horrors.
In closing here are a few Vampire dental jokes:
- Why do vampires brush their teeth so often? So they don’t get bat breath!
- What did the vampire say after the dentist finished his dental checkup? Fangs very much!
- What do vampires and false teeth have in common? They both come out at night!