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10 Dental Tips From Dr. Eye For A Happy (And Healthy) Halloween

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Halloween is best known for two things: costumes and candy. And while dressing up and getting free sweets is a lot of fun, the candy can have some not-so-fun effects later on. But that doesn’t mean you can’t still participate in the festivities; it just means you need to take some precautions.

 

Here are 10 tips from Dr. Eye and Exceptional Smiles Family Dentistry for a happy Halloween—for you and your teeth.

 

  1. Don’t Eat All Your Candy At Once

 

When you have a whole bag of candy in front of you, it can be tempting to binge and eat all your favorites in one sitting. But try to limit yourself to a couple of pieces per day—that way, you don’t get too much sugar and you can make your candy stash last longer.

 

  1. Save Some For Later

 

Split up your candy and put half in the freezer for later. This will remove some of the temptation and gives you a backup stash for a rainy day.

 

  1. Donate To People In Need

 

Choose your favorite treats and donate the rest of the bag to an organization that helps families in need. Or, send it to Operation Gratitude to have your extra candy sent overseas to the troops.

 

Halloween. cheerful little witch with a magic wand and the book conjure and laughs.
  1. Time It Right

 

Try to keep your candy consumption right after meals. After you eat, your mouth produces more saliva, which helps to flush out the acid and food particles left behind from sweets.

 

  1. No Sweets Before Bed

 

Make sure not to eat sweet treats right before bed. Going to sleep with sugar on your teeth greatly increases your risk for cavities.

 

  1. Brush Right After

 

Don’t wait long after eating sweets to brush and floss your teeth. The longer the sugar stays in contact with your teeth, the more damage it will do.

 

  1. Be Picky

 

Choose your candy carefully. Hard candy and taffy stick to your teeth for much longer than powdered candy and chocolate, which dissolve quickly.

 

  1. Drink Lots Of Water

 

Have a few swigs of water in between each bite of candy to help wash away excess sugar and food particles.

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  1. Chew Gum

 

It may sound counterintuitive, but chewing sugarless gum after a meal helps to stimulate saliva production and clean your mouth. Even better, go for a gum with the ADA Seal of approval.

 

  1. Keep Up With Dental Checkups

 

Even if you have excellent oral hygiene, it’s still important to visit the dentist regularly to catch problems as early as possible. Visit our website or give us a call at (540) 434-5500 to schedule an appointment with Dr. Eye today!

 

Happy Halloween from all of us at Exceptional Smiles Family Dentistry!