Halloween may only happen once a year, but this is more than enough if you are concerned about sugar damage to your children’s teeth. Fizzy drinks and sweets are the leading cause of decay in children’s teeth, and this is a big worry for many parents. However, if you plan ahead and take the chance to teach your kids some healthy habits, you won’t need to ban the treats this Halloween!
While it may seem tempting to outlaw all sweet treats from your children’s diets, putting severe restrictions on special events such as Halloween can set you up for trouble in the future. If children do not learn to enjoy treats in moderation, they are much more likely to binge in the future and dramatically increase their risk of tooth decay, as well as many other health problems.
How To Keep Halloween Happy For Everyone
- Demonstrate a healthy lifestyle. Children learn by role modelling, so providing a healthy diet and leading a healthy lifestyle yourself is the best
way to help your children develop good habits. Avoid labelling sweets or other foods as bad, but simply explain that they can have negative effects on your health and
your teeth and should be eaten in moderation. - Be selective. If your children enjoy trick or treating, don’t worry! Sit down with them when their buckets are full and discuss how best to deal with
the treats they have received. Choosing a few pieces to eat and saving the rest for another day can work well, and some children are very happy to choose their favourites
and donate the rest to a local charity. - Use treat times. Having a specific time that children know is for enjoying their sweets can stop them from wanting to eat them at all times of the day.
After a meal is the best time to allow some sweet treats, and then you can brush teeth thoroughly thirty minutes later. - Set up good habits. Teach children from a young age that it is important to take care of their teeth and gums. You should help your child to brush his
or her teeth for two minutes twice a day, and encourage daily flossing as soon as he or she can manage to do this. There are several apps that can be useful in learning good
dental hygiene habits. - Try healthy alternatives. The younger your children are, the more likely it is that you will be able to swap sweet treats for healthier options, but most
children will be willing to exchange some of their sugar-laden swag for other foods that they love. Try cheese and fruit for a well balanced snack that won’t harm their teeth!
Find A Supportive Cork Dentist For Your Family
Are you looking for a good family dentist in Cork? Visit the Guiney Dental Clinic in Ballincollig to meet our friendly, experienced team, who will be happy to discuss your dental needs with you. Call today on 021-481 0535.