Trick or Treating at The Dentist

Nov 2
07:38

2011

Andrea Avery

Andrea Avery

  • Share this article on Facebook
  • Share this article on Twitter
  • Share this article on Linkedin

Going to the dentist may not be on your radar screen during the Halloween season, but it is really important. If you want to avoid getting a cavity this Halloween season, schedule a visit to your dental office soon.

mediaimage
Since it is the season for trick or treating you may be needing to make a visit to your dental office. Usually,Trick or Treating at The Dentist Articles no one is thinking about going to the dentist when they are receiving bags full of sugar-laden lollipops and candy bars. But since it seems candy, treats, and even sugar-infused fruit is everywhere and readily available, maybe making a visit to the dentist is not such a bad idea. And since it is the season for sweets, it is no wonder that dental offices have some interesting ways to keep their patients, especially their younger patients, from experiencing too much tooth decay this Halloween season.

Many dental experts agree that Halloween candy consumption can do some major damage on the teeth, sealants and orthodontia work. Since many kids start celebrating Halloween with treats and candy in early October, their dentist may have some concerns about how to keep them from getting a cavity. And although no one wants to keep kids from having fun and experiencing the Halloween season, the amount of sugar that kids and adults alike consume during this time of year can be worrisome.

Since most kids love to eat candy, solutions for how to deal with this season have to be a little bit creative. So how do dental experts get through the Halloween season? Well, there are some dental offices out there that will pay a dollar a pound for uneaten candy. Others just say to brush your teeth right after you eat some candy. But these are often unrealistic expectations.

What do you think your dentist would say about you or your kids grazing on those Halloween candy treats all day long? Well, many experts agree that feeding on sugar all day long is the worst thing you can do for your teeth. In fact, there are some dental experts that believe that kids should eat all their candy in one or two days and pitch the rest. This may sound a bit shocking to some parents out there, but there are good reasons behind this sort of thinking.

Since most dental cavities happen because of sugar remaining on the teeth over an extended period of time, this sort of reasoning makes a lot of sense. If you are eating a few pieces of candy all throughout the day for a period of several weeks until that candy is gone, then the chances of developing a cavity are much higher than if you just ate all the candy in one or two days.

When you eat candy for weeks at a time, you are exposing your teeth to sugar from lollipops and hard candies everyday for long periods of time without brushing. And let's not forget that eating some of those hard candies can chip a tooth or even pull out some dental sealants. Tooth breakage can lead to tooth decay or even a root canal. No one wants to have to bring their child in to the dentist for a root canal or a crown just because of too much Halloween candy.