With October right around the corner, it only means one thing, Halloween! From apple picking and pumpkin carving to trick or treating, there are nearly limitless festivities for this fun-filled fall season. However, at the same time, it presents one of the biggest challenges for a parent, sugar treats, and candies. To prevent your child from getting too large of a sweet tooth, below are our top-rated recommendations for this upcoming Halloween.

1. Eat Prior to Trick or Treating

We suggest you eat a large meal before going trick or treating with your kids, this way they’re less hungry to snack on treats the entire night. However, you should also bring healthy snacks, such as apple slices or trail mix to eat before they get home and get to sparingly eat candy, under your parental guidance.

2. Eat Health Conscious Candies

Below, are a few health-conscious alternatives to higher sugar content-filled treats that your kids can enjoy this Halloween.
– Candy bars with nuts can prevent sticky chocolate and sugar from staying on their teeth
– Sugar-free gum can help prevent cavities by increasing saliva
– Dark chocolate has antioxidants that can improve heart health and help lower blood pressure
– Sugar-free pops can prevent plaque buildup and increase saliva to prevent cavities

3. Avoid Unhealthy Candy

To better protect your child’s oral health from cavities, broken teeth, etc., below are unhealthy candy that you and your kids should avoid in general.
– Sour candy has acidic properties that can break down your tooth enamel and create cavities
– Hard candy can stick to teeth for extended periods of time but is well known to cause cracked or chipped teeth.
– Sugary candy has high sugar content, which can cause cavities and tooth decay
– Sticky or chewy candy is difficult to remove and clean from teeth, which is a leading factor in tooth decay.

4. Focus on Giving
Help your child learn all about the joys of giving to those who need it most. Find a charity that takes candy donations and distributes it to children who were unable to go trick or treating.

5. Brush, Brush, Brush
Tell your children to brush their teeth after eating any Halloween candy. Excessive sugar intake can be detrimental to your kid’s overall health, including their teeth. This is why they should always brush and floss an hour after eating sweet treats.

For more information on how you can protect your children’s teeth, contact us!