Happy Halloween!
Halloween is most famously known for Trick or Treating! And you know what that means.. Yes! Sweets!!!
I was amazed one year when Matthew came home with an apple in his trick or treat bag! But regardless of what kind of treats you get – be it healthy, like an apple or raisins – or the traditional Halloween Candy, it is important to know some tricks to help protect your pearly whites.
1. Make water the last thing!
Whenever you eat anything, make sure you drink water before finishing your meal or snack. It is most beneficial if you swish water around your mouth to help dislodge food stuck in between teeth or around the gums before swallowing. This also helps get rid of the acidity in the mouth from whatever you ate.
2. Limit the number of meals and snacks
Snacking all day is worse for you than eating your snack in 1 or 2 discrete times. Even if you take the same amount of food (or candy!) and compare snacking on it all day or eating all of it in one seating, it is healthier for your teeth to do it all at once. Not that we advocate this because you might have a tummy ache! Maybe eating some of it on one seating and saving the rest for tomorrow.
3. Go to bed with clean teeth
Going to bed with clean teeth is one of the best ways to prevent cavities. Our saliva is the #1 cavity fighting tool our bodies have. During sleep, our salivary flow decreases and our bodies are not as capable of fighting the bacteria and acid that causes cavities. If our teeth were clean prior to going to bed, then this is not an issue. No cheating! Brushing your teeth after dinner and then having a small snack before bed still leaves your teeth at risk. Make sure that you do not eat or drink anything other than water after brushing your teeth and before going to bed.
If you already routinely do these 3 things and you still feel that you get cavities, we recommend a cavity risk assessment with a saliva and bacterial profile so you could know what your risks are and how to manage them to prevent further development of cavities. Call our office or visit our website for more information.
