With Halloween just around the corner we thought it would be a good idea to share a few dental tips that may help you and your family prevent scary news during your next dental check-up.
1. Chew sugar-free gum after eating Candy
If you're able to immediately chew on some sugarless gum after snacking on some sweet candies this can help prevent decay. According to the ADA chewing gum can help stimulate salivary flow. This increase in salivary flow is able to neutralize the acidic environment in your mouth produced by bacteria, thus helping prevent tooth decay.
2. Drink water while and after snacking on some Sweets
Just like saliva, water too is able to balance out the acidic environment created in your mouth after eating candy, allowing the pH levels in your mouth to come closer to neutral. In addition to this water can also help dissolve and rinse away those sugary sweets that get stuck on and around your teeth.
3. Avoid sticky/chewy Candy
All candy with sugar is bad for your teeth, but candy that sticks to your teeth (especially to the chewing surfaces of your teeth) take much longer to be dissolved or rinsed away. Sometimes even after brushing and flossing your teeth these types of candy are still present on and around the teeth. Limit or avoid the types of candy that cause this, such as taffy and gummy worms/bears.
4. Try Snacking during or after a Meal
If you and/or your child can't stay away from the sweets. Consider eating candy after or during your meal. The increased salivary production during and slightly after eating a meal can (once again) reduce the acids produced by bacteria in your mouth and help prevent decay.
5. Visit your Dentist/Don't miss your next Dental check-up
You should be visiting your Dentist twice a year for check-up exams. So the importance of seeing your Dentist after consuming (hopefully not all) your Halloween treats is massively important. If you happen to have a cavity and require a filling. It's always better to treat a small cavity before it gets too big. As this can help preserve tooth structure and may be easier on your pocket.
Thank you for taking the time to read this blog post, we hope you found it helpful. If you have any questions please leave them in the comment section below. If you enjoyed and found it educational please share it with your friends and family on Facebook and follow us on Instagram. It only takes 1 minute of your time and it helps us out a lot. Thanks :)