News and Events

Thu. Aug 02, 2007

Protecting Your Child’s Teeth Makes Halloween Less Scary

February 27, 2007

Halloween can be a real horror for parents concerned about their children’s teeth, but Delta Dental offers some helpful “tricks” to help scare away tooth decay nightmares this Halloween and throughout the year.

According to A. Riley Cutler, DDS, Dental Director for Delta Dental of Idaho, Halloween comes around once a year and occasional indulgence will not harm teeth as much as the long-term effects of poor dental habits and poor daily nutrition. “To keep teeth healthy, we need to be aware of what we eat and be sure to care for our teeth all year long. Halloween is a great time to talk to your children about the importance of brushing and flossing and eating sugary snacks in moderation,” says Cutler.

Dr. Cutler also offers the following creative tips to encourage good dental care habits and fun ways to protect your child’s smile during the Halloween candy craze.

Serve a healthy supper. Eating a good meal before trick-or-treating leaves less room for sugary sweets. Eat treats as dessert directly after a meal because the mouth creates greater amounts of saliva during meals, helping to wash away decay-causing acids from teeth.

Regulate candy consumption. Allow your child four or five pieces of candy, then store the rest in a sealed container (freeze chocolates and candy bars). Consider a candy “bank”, allowing your child to make withdrawals to help monitor their candy consumption.

Inspect for tooth-friendly candy. Inspect candy for age-appropriateness or if it could be harmful. Sticky or gummy candy can be harmful to braces, retainers, and fillings and can get trapped between dental work. Jaw breakers can also cause damage to teeth and prolongs the amount of sugary contact on teeth. Treats that quickly melt in the mouth, such as plain chocolate, are not as hazardous to dental work and is easier to brush away.

Encourage brushing and flossing. Offer your child a new toothbrush as a final Halloween treat and have them stick to a brushing and flossing routine to minimize the amount of sugar left in the mouth. Using a pea-size amount of fluoride toothpaste, children should brush their teeth in circular motions for at least two minutes. Helping your child to care for their teeth and establish an oral health routine will help them have a healthier smile for a lifetime.

Halloween is a fun time for children and parents alike. It also presents an opportunity for parents to discuss the importance of properly caring for teeth and to be involved in establishing long-term dental habits that will help their children throughout their lives. “The key is to enjoy candy in moderation and give teeth a treat, in the form of extra daily care,” says Dr. Cutler.

Based in Boise, Idaho, Delta Dental of Idaho is a not-for-profit dental benefits company. As the market leader since 1972, Delta Dental of Idaho’s goal is to improve oral health in Idaho by emphasizing preventive care and making dental coverage affordable to a wide variety of employers.

Please feel free to call Corporate Communications with any questions at (208) 489-3564.

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