While children get to show off their costumes and get exercise walking through the neighborhood on Halloween, there is one downside: most come home with far more candy than they should eat. To ensure your child’s Halloween candy doesn’t wreak havoc on their overall dental care, find out what you should do with excess candy after the holiday passes.

Why Shouldn’t Your Children Keep It All?

Most candy is loaded with excess sugar, which is known to derail dental care. Added sugars lead to increased harmful bacteria and acids that contribute to the development of cavities. Beyond affecting children’s dental health, however, sugar can also impact their overall well-being.

While there’s room in most diets for occasional sugary indulgences, parents of young children should be especially mindful of how many sweets their children are allowed. Consuming added sugar in excess during childhood is associated with obesity, high blood pressure, and type 2 diabetes, all of which increase the risk of heart disease.

Children should have no more than 25 grams, or six teaspoons, of added sugar each day. While most fun-size portions of candy have fewer than 25 grams, account for other sources of added sugar in a child’s diet, like those found in cereals, juices, and other sweetened foods.

What Are Some Ways to Get Rid of Extra Candy?

Your child may not be thrilled by the idea of parting ways with their candy, but you can make the experience rewarding for them. For example, you can have your child donate their candy to active duty military personnel through charities like Operation Gratitude and the “Treats for the Troops” giveback program from Soldiers’ Angels. This also provides an ideal opportunity to explain the military’s role and the importance of charitable contributions to your child.

If your child is especially young, use the Switch Witch toy to swap out extra candy for a small gift. Similar to the tooth fairy, the Switch Witch collects candy on Halloween night and leaves a prize for children in the morning.

While you don’t have to rule candy out altogether, staying on top of your child’s dental care is more important than ever around Halloween. If your little one is due for a cleaning and exam, schedule an appointment with Pedodontic Associates. With two locations on Oahu and one on Maui for over 25 years, these children’s dentistry offices provide comprehensive care for youths, including preventive and emergency care. Find out more about cavity prevention on their website. Call one of their locations to set up an appointment: (808) 735-1733 for Honolulu, (808) 487-7933 for Aiea, or (808) 877-0066 for Kahului.