Happy Halloween

With Halloween around the corner it’s time to dress up and get your Trick or Treat on. Now we all know candy is not the best thing for your health or your teeth so here are 5 helpful pointers to remember for your Halloween:

1) Most importantly inspect your candy to ensure it is safe to eat.

2) If you or your family are going to indulge yourselves with candy, make sure you eat it around mealtime. The saliva produced during mealtime helps neutralize the acids produced by sugar eating bacteria in your mouth and wash away excess food particles left in your mouth.

3) Avoid eating your candy throughout the day or as a snack. Not only is snacking on candy not good for your teeth but it also not healthy so avoid that urge to snack on it.

4) Stay away from hard candy. Most of us realize that hard candy is more likely to chip a tooth but what we don't think about is the fact the hard candy lasts longer in the mouth. This leads to longer exposure time to its sugar, creating a greater likelihood of generating decay.

5) Keep clear of sticky candy. Sticky candy, as the name implies, sticks to your teeth and is much harder to remove again leading to longer exposure times.

So what candy is ok to eat for Halloween? Some candies fair better than others. The better bet would be consuming chocolate (nothing sticky or hard) or getting your teeth on some sugar free gum, which is what the ADA recommends. Sugar free gum is most effective when chewing for 20 minutes after each meal because it aids in the production of saliva which as mentioned before helps neutralize acids and wash away food particles.

The bottom line is to listen to our advice here, enjoy your Halloween and choose your candy wisely. Remember to eat healthy, drink lots of water (preferably fluoridated), brush your teeth twice a day, floss every night and don't forget to visit your favorite dentist @ Encino ProDental for your cleanings and checkups!

Happy Halloween!