Protect trick-or-treaters' teeth

The Ontario Dental Association (ODA) says Halloween doesn't have to be a scary time for children's teeth.

"The trick to maintaining good dental health throughout Halloween is to moderate the intake of sweets and make sure kids stick to their brushing and flossing routine," says Donald Russell, a Burlington-based dentist and president of the ODA.

"Good oral health is important to a child's overall health," added Russell.  "Teaching a child good oral habits and providing them with wise nutritional choices throughout the year will keep them smiling for a lifetime."

Some of the healthy snack tips for kids are surprising.


The ODA recommends following these five steps:

1. Hand out healthy treats. Parents can do their part by handing out treats that are sugarless or low-in-sugar, not hard and easily brushed away after the sweets are eaten. Pick up sugarless gum, potato or tortilla chips, sunflower seeds, popcorn or sugarless lollipops. Or try handing out Halloween pencils, erasers or orange toothbrushes.

2. Cheese Please! Put the bite on cavities with cheese.  Cheese is a good complimentary food to have with sweets at Halloween because of its high calcium content and nutritious value.  It tends to buffer the acids produced by oral bacteria and re-mineralize areas of early tooth decay. Research shows that the bacteria in medium and old Canadian cheddar cheeses inhibit the growth of Streptococcus Mutans, the prime acidogenic bacteria associated with tooth decay.

3. Sort through treats.  Throw out any treats that look as if they may have been tampered with. Sticky sweets that adhere to teeth and hard candies that remain in the mouth for a long time are the prime culprits behind decay-causing bacteria.

4. Keep candy in a sealed container and establish times when your child can have a treat. Immediately after meals is a good time, as there is a better flow of saliva to help wash away foods and to dilute sugar.

5. Brush and floss after snacking. If children don't have access to a toothbrush while at school or a friends' house, give them sugarless gum to help get their saliva flowing.

The ODA website contains useful information on oral health. Visit www.oda.on.ca and click on the "Your Oral Health" link on the home page.