Happy Halloween Mansfield! Welcome back to the ongoing dental health blog of Sanders Family Dentistry. We hope the Halloween season is treating you well; around the office we always enjoy October. Fall is a time to be with family, and to enjoy things like haunted houses and horror movies.

And of course, we can’t neglect to mention trick or treating. Candy, candy, everywhere there’s more candy. Grab me a Nestle Crunch bar please! But it’s easy to get swept away by the holiday season. As the leaves begin to change color, Halloween will fade into Thanksgiving. Then next thing you know it, Christmas is here and you’re searching for the perfect tree.

But there’s one thing you should try and avoid forgetting this holiday season; that’s your oral health. For adults, this might not seem like much. Of course you’ll remember to brush and floss everyday because you’ve already been doing so for years.

But it can be harder for kids. During childhood, kids are forming dental habits that will last them a lifetime. By helping get them into a routine now, you can help prevent them from undergoing root canals or other lengthy dental procedures down the line. Halloween is one of the most dangerous times of the year for tooth decay.

But as a parent, there are a few steps you can take to make sure your children keep a smile they can be proud of for a lifetime. With Halloween candy, your kids are quite likely to be eating a lot more decay causing foods than normal. To be honest, that’s probably not something you can avoid completely.

But you can take steps to limit the damage. One suggestion is to limit their candy intake to one time during the day. Ideally, after a session of munching on Buncha’ Crunch, your children should brush and floss their teeth. Sugar filled foods are the absolute worst food when it comes to cavities and other decay.

It’s important for your children to brush twice a day, in the morning and before bed. Kids also need to brush at least two minutes at a time. That may not seem like a long time, but it can be hard for children to concentrate on a task for that length of time. So watch them like a hawk, and consider purchasing a toothbrush with a built-in timer.

In addition, try to avoid allowing your children to drink soda while they eat candy. Soda is extremely acidic, which means it will erode away the enamel of their teeth. This is a true fact of life for all types of soda, including the sugar-free variety. With bacteria and soda together, their teeth are in for double trouble.

Serve water with the candy instead. Water helps wash away the bacteria that forms when chewing on candy. This small step can really go a long way towards preventing tooth decay and keeping your children’s mouths cavity-free.

But even the most militant approach to daily oral hygiene can not prevent all tooth decay. For that you need to ensure that your child is making routine dental appointments at least every six months; during a routine appointment we can check your child for tooth decay, as well as clean away all plaque and tartar before the cavities form.

So don’t let Halloween ruin your children’s smiles. Make an appointment today at Sanders Family Dental in Mansfield, TX. We can be reached at 817-779-7111. We look forward to seeing you!

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