How Can I Keep My Child’s Smile Safe While Trick-or-Treating?

Halloween equals candy, and candy equals enamel erosion and cavities, which can be harmful to the smile. So, as you may already know, trick-or-treating can put your child’s little chompers in danger. Now, before you tell your child they can’t trick-or-treat, our dentist, Dr. Gary Wegmann, has some good news. There are things you can do to ensure your child has a safer and healthier smile this Halloween, and he would be happy to tell you what those are:

-It’s best if your child has a satisfying meal before they go trick-or-treating. This is because the less hungry your child is, the less tempted they will be to fill up on candy.

-Ask your child to only choose non-sticky and easy-to-eat candies when they are out ringing the neighbors’ doorbells. These treats are less likely to cause dental issues because they don’t stick to the teeth for long amounts of time.

-If your child chose sour candy while they were out and about, it’s best to limit the number of pieces they eat. This is because sour candy has acid, which is the substance that can cause enamel erosion. So, the less sour candy they eat, the better.

-Make sure your child doesn’t eat all their candy in one sitting. This might be pretty obvious, but it’s tougher than you might think. When your child is excited about their candy, they will want to eat it all at once. Instead, tell your child beforehand that they can only have a few pieces of candy today because you want them to have a strong and healthy smile. They can save the rest of the candy for later.

To learn more about how to help your child have a healthy Halloween smile in Chicago, Illinois, please reach out to our dental team at The Chicago Family Dental Center at your earliest convenience. All you need to do is dial 312.551.0500 and we will be more than happy to help you!