Many people develop a sweet tooth during Halloween. It is evident that with the availability of almost unlimited candy, the only thing to do is eat to our fill. The worst food for our teeth is candy. Followed by cakes, sugary sweets, soft drinks, crackers, and citrus fruits. It is almost impossible to avoid these during Halloween. It is why we need to be aware of ways to protect our teeth.

How Do We Protect Our Teeth During Halloween?
There are simple ways to protect our teeth from harmful sugars. The following steps can help you maintain healthy teeth:

Drink More Water As An Alternative to Soft Drinks
Eating candy and other sugars can cause you to experience thirst. Rather than rushing for soft drinks to quench your thirst, settle for water. Water will quench your thirst and wash away sugars from your teeth. It can buy you some time before you get home to floss or brush.

Avoid Unnatural Colored Candy
You may notice some candy will come in different colors. Such colorful candy may have extra food additives or dyes. These are more harmful to your teeth than regular candy. If possible, try avoiding them altogether.

Practice Eating Healthy
Avoiding treats is almost impossible during Halloween. So, you can opt for foods that provide nutrients and protect your teeth. You can eat nuts, dark chocolate, trail mix, or raisins. When you get any trick or treat offers, be sure to pick the ones with the least sugars.

Avoid Hard Candies
Hard candy will strain your teeth, and if you are not careful, you may crack your teeth too. Also, hard candy may contain excess sugars that will add to the damage. You can opt for softer options like chocolate as it can wash off with water.

Visit a Dentist
You can visit the Upper Hunt Club Dental Centre in Ottawa for treatment where you will find great services. These are cosmetic dentistry, periodontic dentistry, preventive and restorative dentistry, and prosthetic dentistry. If you have damaged teeth or infected gums, it may be fixable, and you will have your smile back.

Importance of Watching Out for Your Oral Health During Halloween
Using a good oral hygiene routine will help keep the food particles from being stuck on your teeth. This will reduce the risk of tooth decay or tooth infection. But this does not mean you can eat anything you want without protecting your teeth afterward.

What you can do is brush your teeth with a soft toothbrush and fluoride toothpaste. Brush after every meal, morning, and night. Use a substitute for regular candy and crackers. This is especially for those that make teeth sticky like caramel, meringue, marshmallow.

Avoid having beverages such as soft drinks or fruit juices as they make your teeth sticky. Avoid brushing your teeth with these types of drinks in your mouth even if you are thirsty. Instead, drink water and brush afterward.

Chew sugar-free gum after meals to kill the germs that cause tooth decay. Mint flavored gum is preferable since it has a higher concentration of xylitol. This is a natural ingredient with higher anti-plaque effects. Make sure to pick sugarless candy.

Take note of the candy given by your friends and relatives. Exchange the candy with other less harmful candy, opt for chocolates, nuts, and sugar-free candies.

How Can Candy Impact Your Teeth?
Candy is dangerous because it comes from sugar. Sugar is one of the biggest culprits when it comes to tooth decay or cavities. It promotes cavity-causing bacteria. Therefore, you might feel like your teeth are getting worse if you eat something sugary. Sugar can irritate the gums and make your teeth more susceptible to cavities; it lowers the pH level in your mouth.

Candy, especially sticky candy like taffy or caramel, is challenging to remove. This is because it adheres to them so well, even if you brush and floss. Some particles will stay behind and contribute to cavity-causing bacteria.

This Halloween, make sure to protect your teeth from various types of food. Use a good oral hygiene routine and reduce consuming foods that make your teeth sticky. Visit the Upper Hunt Club Dental Centre in Ottawa to check on the status of your teeth post-halloween. Contact us today to schedule an appointment.