Halloween just wouldn’t be the same without candy. Luckily, there are steps you can take to protect your family’s teeth without having to avoid sugar altogether. Even a dentist would likely agree it’s okay to indulge every once in a while, and if you can’t indulge on Halloween, when can you?

The team at Family First Dentistry in Anchorage, AK, are here to offer the following tips for a healthy Halloween:

• Time Your Treats: Once you’re done collecting all your candy at the end of the night, you can protect your teeth by eating it at appropriate times. For example, you should only eat sugary foods with meals or shortly afterward. During mealtime, saliva production increases, which means it will be more effective at rinsing away food particles and preventing bacteria growth. 
• Avoid Sticky Candy: Sticky candy like gummy bears, caramels, and taffy cling to the surfaces of your teeth, and it takes longer for saliva to wash them away. Your dentist will tell you this increases your risk of tooth decay, so try to avoid sticky candy whenever possible.
• Drink Plenty Of Water: Water that contains fluoride will help prevent tooth decay and gum disease even if you consume a lot of sugar. In addition, by drinking water while munching on your Halloween treats, you will minimize the number of food particles that get lodged in your teeth.
• Brush Twice A Day: Regardless of how much candy you’re eating, you should be brushing your teeth at least twice a day and flossing at least once a day. Good oral hygiene habits are crucial to maintaining healthy pearly whites.

You can also protect your teeth by limiting how much Halloween candy you eat in general. If you have no more than a single serving of candy after dinner each night, your Halloween candy will last until Christmas, and your teeth will stay clean and healthy.

In addition to brushing and flossing daily, you should also schedule regular dental cleanings. If you’re overdue for a cleaning, turn to Family First Dentistry in Anchorage, AK. Visit their website to learn more about the various family dentistry services they offer, including root canal treatment and teeth whitening, and call (907) 562-2820 to schedule a dentist appointment today. You can also find them on Facebook and Twitter.