Before you know it, Halloween will be here! Whether your community is trick or treating or not, the odds are that you and your children will be eating more candy than usual. While everyone enjoys the occasional sweet treat, too much of a good thing could mean tooth decay. In today’s blog, your Celina, TX, dentist has a few tips for protecting your smile.
The Link Between Your Treats and Your Cavities
When we eat a lot of sugar-rich candies, we end up with bits of sugar trapped between the teeth or clinging to the surfaces of our smile, especially if we consume items that contain taffy, caramel, or other sticky ingredients. Bacteria love to consume these particles, and when they do, this increases oral acidity and then creates a layer of plaque and tartar buildup on the teeth. Over time, these layers will erode the outer enamel, exposing the sensitive inner dentin to bacteria and allowing cavities to form! As the decay grows more severe with time, people experience tooth sensitivity and toothaches, and could develop an infected tooth too.
Stay Safe on Halloween
To help keep your smile safe, try to limit how much candy you or your children consume. Eat only one or two pieces after dinner, and wash it down with a glass of water to help cleanse the smile until you can brush and floss. If you have kids, you could even encourage them to trade their excess candy to you for a toy or other small prize. Should your neighborhood being passing out sweets this year, consider handing out alternatives that are smile safe, such as stickers, trail mix, temporary tattoos, or Halloween themed party favors.
Care at Home and In Our Office
You also help by practicing good oral hygiene. People of all ages need to brush in the morning and again before going to bed. Each session should take about two minutes, and make use a toothpaste containing fluoride. Before bed, we also need to floss thoroughly in between each tooth to reach and remove what a toothbrush alone cannot. Every six months, consider seeing us for a checkup and cleaning too. We keep an eye on your smile for the earliest warning signs of decay, and can remove all plaque and tartar from the teeth to lower the risk of cavities, as well as bad breath, teeth stains, gingivitis, and even gum disease.
Schedule Your Next Visit Today
At Celina Family Dentistry, we want to help you and your loved ones enjoy your Halloween fun, without putting your smile at risk for developing cavities and dental infections. Contact our Celina, Texas office at (214) 851-0130 to learn more about protecting the health and beauty of your smile.
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