Forget ghosts and ghouls – Halloween can get really scary if you have to make an emergency trip to the dentist’s office.
Past research has reported an 80% increase in emergency dental visits on Halloween versus other days in October.
“This increase is often due to people indulging in sweets that can damage teeth or existing dental work,” Dr. Priya Mistry, a dentist based in Vancouver, Washington. “If there have been slowly and quietly producing cavities, candy can definitely be the proverbial ‘straw that broke the camel’s back’ and cause an already soft/decayed tooth to crack or fracture.”
Mistry shared with The Post her top five “red flag” candies that can dampen Halloween spirits — super hard candy, gummy candy or gummy candy, sour candy, gum and jaws.
Extremely hard candy
Hard candies, such as Jolly Ranchers, Lifesavers, and butterscotches, can chip or crack your teeth, especially if you try to bite into them.
Mistry said you should go to the dentist immediately if you chip or crack a tooth. In the meantime, you can alternate between ibuprofen and Tylenol if you have pain.
Candies or sticky candies
Sticky candies like caramel or taffy can dislodge fillings and crowns—and even break orthodontic appliances like braces.
The best options include dark chocolate, which is rich in antioxidants, milk chocolate, chocolate with nuts or other crunchy elements that can help break up the sticky residue on the teeth, and finally, corn and marshmallows, which which are not great for the teeth, but they are better. how many “red flag” candies.
If you decide to go for Laffy Taffy, Mistry suggests chewing evenly on both sides of your mouth so you don’t tire your jaw. Drinking water between candies can also help relax overworked jaw muscles.
Sour candies
Sour candies like Warheads or Sour Patch Kids have a high acid content that can erode enamel, the hard, protective covering of your teeth.
Mistry said that if tooth enamel wears away, the dentin layer of tissue underneath becomes more visible. Dentin degrades seven to nine times faster than enamel, Mistry added, so you should try to preserve your enamel as much as possible.
Gummies
In turn, gummy candies can stick to the grooves of your teeth, giving bacteria in your mouth more time to feed on sugars and produce harmful acids that can lead to tooth decay and cavities.
About one in four American adults have untreated tooth decay, research shows.
And half of children ages 6 to 9 have had at least one cavity in their baby or permanent teeth, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Mistry said drinking water will help flush out the sugar and bacteria.
jaws
Jawbreakers, also known as gobstoppers, are a big no-no, Mistry said. They can chip your teeth, and prolonged sucking can lead to jaw fatigue and potentially worsen temporomandibular joint, or TMJ, dysfunction.
The jaws can also be a choking hazard, especially for small children.
In 2014, a Nevada police officer performed an anti-Heimlich maneuver on a semi-conscious 3-year-old to dislodge a jaw from his throat.
Practicing moderation on Halloween
Mistry, a mother of two, says moderation and awareness are the keys to safely enjoying Halloween. She recommends:
- Implementing a “candy budget”, allowing children to choose a set number of pieces each day to eat rather than giving them unlimited access
- Limiting sweet tooth consumption to specific times of the day rather than grazing throughout the day, reducing the amount of time teeth are exposed to sugar
- Encouraging eating sweets with meals to benefit from increased saliva production – saliva can help wash away food particles and neutralize acids
- Consider a “candy buyback” program that allows children to exchange excess candy for toys or privileges
- Staying vigilant with washing and flossing routines
“It’s about striking the right balance and making smart choices,” Mistry said.
Dr. Andrew Elliston, a board-certified pediatrician at Elliston Pediatrics in Manhattan, said Halloween is a great opportunity to teach kids about self-regulation and delayed gratification.
“If they overdo it, then they risk the consequences of colic and also running out of candy,” Elliston told The Post. “It’s helpful to engage with them about it and ask them about it.”
Instead of saying “I told you so!” or shaming them, Elliston suggests parents ask their children why they feel bad and how they can do better next time.
“Our long-term goal is for children to have exposure to sweets (because the reality is that they will, many times), feel relatively neutral about these sweets and have an experience carefully regulating their intake of these sweets, ” Elliston. said.
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