It’s that time of year again! And let’s face it, candy is everywhere. That’s why we’ve come up with a list of ways to handle that pillowcase full of cavity-inducing treats. We’ll also talk about a few small things you can do to minimize the risk of Halloween candy causing any harm to your child’s teeth.
Switch It!
Let them keep a few select pieces, and have them switch the rest out for something better – like money, a gift card, or a new toy they’ve been wanting. Sometimes known as the “Switch Witch”, kids can leave their candy in a select place Halloween night, only to find a letter and gift in its place in the morning!
What to do with the candy you switch out? Encourage your school to collect Halloween Candy and deliver it to our office on November 7th between 8am-12pm. The school that collects the most candy will receive a $500 donation to its PTA. The second-place school will receive $250, and third place will receive $150. Candy will be donated to Operation Gratitude and sent overseas to our troops! Call Josie at 949-644-0611 for details or questions.
One Treat A Day Policy
Decide on a household policy for candy consumption. Let your child be in charge so they can decide to have their treat in their lunchbox, after school, after dinner, etc. Defining the rules ahead of time takes away any obsessing over candy, because they know they can have something every day.
6 Tips For Parents
- Limit the size of the candy – a fun-size candy bar does a lot less damage than a full size.
- Drink water – this will help rinse away any sugars clinging to teeth.
- Avoid sticky or chewy candy – these get easily stuck in between teeth, and your kid’s daily brushing and flossing won’t remove them completely.
- Stay away from hard candies – like lollipops and jawbreakers, the longer it takes for your child to eat it, the more time for teeth to get coated in sugar and bacteria.
- Ditch anything sour – the acid in these candies are extremely bad for tooth enamel and cause it to break down quickly.
- Brush after eating – as always, brushing teeth is the best way to keep them cavity-free.
Deciding whether your child gets to eat just one piece of candy or their whole haul can be the scariest part of Halloween – but at least you’ll know your kiddo’s smile will be healthy and bright!
