Stay Cavity Free This Halloween with Tips from Cheyenne Dental Group!

It’s almost that time again where both children and adults enjoy a bit of candy binging that most often results in heavily induced sugar rushes, kids that bounce off walls, and of course dental dangers. Unfortunately, the ones who really take the most beating from Halloween are our teeth. In order to stay stay cavity free this Halloween, consider our advice.

Sticky Situations

Many candies such as anything with caramel, gummies, or lollipops that are sucked on for long periods of time are the worst culprits. Why? Because our teeth are exposed to the sugar for longer than other candies that we simply chew and swallow without much thought. Try avoiding candies that have the potential to stick to our teeth, as long exposure to sugar is harmful to our teeth. This will only increase our chances of decay and cavities, especially if you go to bed with all of that sugar still stuck on your teeth.

Consider Alternatives

There are plenty of alternatives that exist besides candy. Most candies contain milk chocolate in some form and our suggestion is to find the candies that contain dark chocolate. This doesn’t necessarily make it a great choice, but dark chocolate does not contain the same sugary ingredients as milk chocolate. The more cacao content, the more pure it is – which is a good thing.

Sugar-free gum with xylitol is another great alternative. Not only does it have the potential to curb your appetite, but helps stimulate saliva production which is important for managing the bacteria in our mouth responsible for decay. There’s a wide variety of flavors to choose from also, so grab your favorite and chew away.

Fruit is Nature’s Candy

You may have heard this phrase before, but we like to believe that fruit is nature’s candy. Fruit can be loaded with sugar, but it’s natural and far healthier than anything artificial because it contains vitamins our bodies need on a daily basis. Just don’t go too overboard with fruit. Limit yourself, just as you would candy.

Moderation is Key

We don’t want to bore you by saying don’t eat any candy at all. It’s OK to indulge in small amounts of candy here and there, but that’s the key thing to take note of: “small amounts”. Your body and teeth will benefit when things are done in moderation. We cannot stress this enough.

Of course, you should always add extra effort to stay on top of your brushing and flossing routine, especially during the Halloween season. This combined with visiting your dentist for a checkup to ensure you haven’t rot your teeth out in a few weeks, as well as seriously considering our advice should enable you to have a cavity-free, fun, and a safe Halloween!