Each year thousands of kids get all dressed up in their favorite costumes and head out to collect your neighbors candy. Although fun, it may be a good idea to have a game plan to limit the overindulgence of candy and sugary sweets.
Trick or Treating Tips
Parents can ask advice from their pediatric dentist on how to put together a good strategy for trick or treating while still allowing your children to have fun. Here are a few tips:
- Try to separate out the not so sugary treats from the rest. Some houses have jumped on the bang wagon of giving popcorn, pretzels, and trail mixes. Use the candy only as treats or special occasions.
- Only allow the sugary treats to be consumed at meal times or specific snack times. This will help to make sure that there are not frequent “sugar attacks” on their teeth during the day.
- After they eat a special Halloween treat, drink water to make sure the sugar is not sitting on the teeth for a long time. If you or they want to brush their teeth make sure it is within 30 mins after eating the sugary treats. Flossing is also helpful to remove the sticky treats that can settle between their teeth.
- Limit the amount of time your trick or treating as this will limit the amount of candy coming into your household. Check your local neighborhoods for events going on instead of spending hours going door to door.
Halloween is approaching quickly and it’s not too late to re consider what you are giving out as treats. Jump onto Pinterest and search for “non-candy Halloween favors”. You might be surprised how much fun your kids will have making little crafts for others!
Don’t forget to brush a lot this week!