The best treats for your child this Halloween

Halloween is known for its scary costumes and children running around the neighborhood for candies. Though you don’t want to stop your children from celebrating and enjoying the day, the fear of cavities from all those sugary treats would surely be lingering in your mind. Fear not, because we have the perfect solution to this dilemma of yours.

How best to keep cavities away?

As we already know, cavities are caused due to the excessive consumption of sugary foods that tend to stick on to the surface of the teeth. This gives the microbes in the mouth something to feed on and to multiply rapidly. Over time, they can form plaque and tartar, which release acids that are capable of eroding the enamel, giving way to the formation of cavities.

But, a simple thing we can do to avoid cavities is that after consuming sugary foods, we must make sure no residues are left on the teeth. The longer any sugary residue stays in the mouth, the higher the chances of developing cavities. Hence, choose treats that don’t take a long time for your child to consume. After eating it, the mouth should be thoroughly rinsed with water.

Eatables such as caramel toffees, lollipops, fruit chews, etc. that last a long time and tend to get stuck to the teeth should be avoided. Stay by their side when they’re eating the treats and make sure they don’t eat too much of them. Also, it wouldn’t be a bad time to talk to them about cavities and how bad eating too much candy can get!

Help with their oral hygiene

Now that you know what has to be done, here are a few suggestions for this Halloween that help your kid have fun and stay away from cavities at the same time.

• Chocolates: Though chocolates are sugary and bad for oral health, they can be eaten quickly and often rinsed away completely. As long as your child eats chocolates in moderation, they don’t cause serious trouble.
  
• Water: Make sure your children carry a bottle of water when they head out to collect candies. This way, they can rinse their mouth after eating their treats. Also, all the running around can make them thirsty, which would make the water bottle come in handy.
• Brush and floss: At the end of the day, when your kids are done eating their treats, brushing and flossing get rid of any sugary residues on the teeth and the microbes as well.