Whether you’re a child or adult, a bag full of Halloween candy is hard to resist. When your candy intake increases, however, so does your risk of developing cavities. Richmond, KY, dentist Mark Stephens DMD, understands that it’s unrealistic to ban candy during the Halloween season. He recommends making wise choices about the candy you eat and following up a candy eating session with good oral hygiene habits.

Keeping your teeth healthy during the Halloween season starts with understanding how candy affects your teeth and what types of candy should be avoided. If followed, these tips can help you prevent tooth decay and damage:

• Don’t Bite Into Hard Candies: Attempting to bite these candies could result in a broken tooth.
• Limit Sticky Candies: Small pieces of sticky candy tend to stick to the teeth long after they’ve been eaten, which gives cavity-causing bacteria in your mouth plenty of time to feast on the treats.
• Avoid Sour Candy Completely: The acids in sour candy are very damaging to the enamel of teeth. Since many types of sour candy are also sticky, it’s one type of candy that should be completely avoided.
• Choose Favorites: This is one time when it’s fine to play favorites. Limit your children’s choices to 10 or 15 pieces of candy, which must be eaten over several days.
• Follow Up With Brushing And Flossing: After your children eat candy, encourage them to brush and floss to remove sugar and stray pieces of candy.

Following these tips and making regular dental exams and cleanings a priority can help your child avoid tooth decay. Need a dental checkup but don’t have a dentist? Dr. Stephens offers a full range of family dentistry services, including veneers, dental crowns, full dentures, and wisdom teeth removal. As his patient, you’ll enjoy pain-free exams and procedures in a friendly environment. For more information about the services offered by Mark Stephens DMD, visit his website or give him a call at (859) 626-0069.