Healthy Teeth and a Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween from our Merced dentist family to yours!  Many of you will be out and about tonight taking in the festivities and bouncing from house to house as you trick or treat.  But despite the fun, it is important to remember to take care of your teeth.  After all, we don’t want an overload of candy destroying your beautiful smile.  One night of fun and sweets can cause a lifetime of dental problems.  Children and adults alike can take steps to protect their smile, while still being able to enjoy the ghosts and ghouls and sweets and treats.

Oral Hygiene

Everyone needs to brush their teeth two times every day.  We also need to floss daily in order to prevent gum disease or periodontal disease.  On Halloween, it is especially important to practice good oral hygiene.  You may be tuckered out after trick-or-treating, but that is no excuse.  Brush away the sticky sugar as quickly as possible so that the bacteria and plaque don’t create a haunted mess in your mouth.

Dental Sealants

Children between the ages of 6 and 12 and even older can benefit from dental sealants.  The sealants protect the chewing surfaces of your teeth so that tooth decay can’t destroy your teeth.  Sealants are painted on to the tooth surface, especially the molars, and keep food and plaque out of the grooves and crevices of our teeth.  Our Merced dentist recommends sealants on permanent molars so that our patients can avoid the hassle of a cavity.

Healthy Halloween Treats

We know the favorite houses on the block give away good candy instead of healthy treats.  However, you can take steps to keep your teeth healthy despite the candy.  Have plenty of fruits and vegetables on hand so the candy is less tempting when looking for snack items.  Make an effort to stay away from candies that are extra sticky in nature like taffy or gummy candies.  These are hard to brush off of your teeth and can quickly begin destroying your enamel.  Ensure everyone goes to bed with a clean mouth, limiting the amount of candy eaten before bedtime.  The best advice, if you are going to eat the treats anyway, is to have a piece directly after dinner.  Your saliva is already working to clean away food left behind on your teeth.

Halloween is a great night of fun, but without proper oral hygiene, it can haunt you for the rest of the year in the form of tooth decay.  Check out our Merced dentist Facebook page to learn how you can take care of your family’s smiles, or give us a call to learn about our Preventive Dentistry services.