4 Halloween Oral Health Tips for a Healthier Smile

Halloween is a holiday known for candy and other sweet treats. From chocolate to gummies to spooky-themed sugar cookies, Halloween offers abundant opportunities for you to encounter oral health issues like cavities. With so much temptation around every corner, it can be difficult to avoid situations that may compromise your smile. To help you keep your teeth where they belong, read on to learn four Halloween tips for a healthy beam.

Tip #1: Enjoy Your Candy During Mealtime

Saliva is produced by the salivary glands in our mouths. It helps wash away bacteria and food particles, which lessens your risk of developing cavities. The amount of saliva you produce also increases while you eat. That makes meal times the perfect occasion for eating your Halloween candy. Additionally, this will make it easier to prevent sugar from sitting on your teeth for too long.

Tip #2: Be Picky About Your Candy

Rather than eating all of the Halloween treats that are presented to you, be picky. Only eat your favorite treats. For example, if you know that you have Halloween cookies at home, skip out on the pumpkin cookies in the break room at work.

The types of the treats you consume is also important. Gummies and other sticky candies remain in your mouth for a long time, which makes you more likely to develop cavities. Additionally, hard candies take a long time to melt, so they can also raise your risk of decay. Instead, eat sugar free candy, sugarless gum, or dark chocolate since they are better for your smile.

Tip #3: Drink Plenty of Water

Just like saliva, water helps wash away bacteria and food particles. It also prevents dry mouth, which creates an ideal environment for harmful oral bacteria to thrive. Additionally, the acid levels in your mouth go up while you eat. Drinking water lowers your risk of oral health problems and also neutralizes acids in the mouth.

Tip #4: Brush & Floss Consistently

Brushing your teeth twice per day and flossing nightly is already key to good oral health, but consider doing it even more during the Halloween season. As previously mentioned, the level of acid in the mouth raises when we eat. For this reason, wait for at least 30 minutes after finishing a meal or eating your candy before you brush. This will help prevent enamel damage.

Halloween is an exciting time of year, but don’t let the excitement distract you from your smile. With the above Halloween oral health tips, you should be able to enjoy the season to the fullest while keeping your smile healthy and bright!

About the Practice

Edgewood Dental is a practice based in Michigan City that treats patients of all ages. Led by Dr. Valerie Haughtington and Dr. Vidas Noreika, the specialize in all things related to oral health. They can give you Halloween oral health tips on how to better protect your smile from harm during spooky season so your teeth remain healthy and strong. To set up an appointment with Edgewood Dental or for more information on their services, call them at (219) 898-4545 or visit their website.