Tips To Have Healthy Teeth During Halloween

With the holiday arriving at full spooky speed, we want to make sure you and your loved ones, especially the little ones, enjoy Halloween to the fullest while keeping a healthy and white smile. To achieve this, our experts at Bella Smiles in Las Vegas have made a list with a few tips to keep those teeth as healthy as possible before, during, and after Halloween:

1. Avoid hard and sticky candies. This type of candies will ruin your teeth. These will usually remain a much longer time than other types of candies in your mouth, unbalancing its natural pH and damaging your oral structures. Also, to consume hard and sticky candies you need to put a lot of effort in your mouth, often resulting in broken teeth and fillings pulled out.

2. Xylitol alternatives. Nowadays, there are plenty of artificial sweeteners as alternatives to sugar, xylitol being one of these. Not only does it taste good, but xylitol is super healthy for the teeth. Studies published in 2013 in the European Journal of Pediatric Dentistry show that this substance has the ability to diminish plaque formation and bacteria development that causes cavities and also is capable of making saliva less acidic. If you will make trick-or-treaters candies, consider making them with xylitol instead of sugar. We bet the children (and adults) will not even notice the difference.

3. Avoid beverages with added sugar. Candies and other sweets are enough sugar for a holiday, so adding other sugary things like beverages is not a good idea. The risk of tooth decay and damage rises when teeth are in constant contact with sweet beverages. Try to drink more natural beverages like fluoridated water, lemonade, or cold teas and infusions.

4. Use water after sweets. This tip can be practiced on a daily basis, but it has to be done especially during Halloween when we all consume more candies than other times in the year. As stated above, having candies too much time in your mouth can alter its normal pH balance. If you think you have to brush your teeth just after eating some candy, you are wrong. If you do this before achieving the normal pH balance in the mouth, your enamel can be damaged. Instead of doing this right away, enjoy your sweets and rinse your mouth with plenty of water afterward. A few minutes after doing this, you are able to brush your teeth.

5. Floss two times a day. Eating too many sugary candies is already a bad idea, but leaving that candy between your teeth during all day and night is a much worst one. Sweets that stay between your teeth are an important cause of tooth damage and cavities. Floss is not optional and it is not only for adults. Children need to learn to floss each day, especially around Halloween.

6. As always, moderation is key! Even if you do not do anything of the before mentioned regarding your candy intake, your teeth will benefit very much if you moderate its consumption. Enjoying Halloween having a couple of sugary treats is not that big of a deal. But remember, your teeth and organs like the pancreas will say thanks if you do not exceed in the candy consumption.