Halloween Tips For Health-Conscience Parents

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Halloween tricks may scare you and the kids, but the holiday's treats can cause their fair share of trouble as well. The sugar in those Halloween goodies can fuel caries, the disease that causes tooth decay and cavities, says Julie Jenks, a pediatric dentist and assistant professor with the USC School of Dentistry. "When sugar sticks to teeth, the caries bacteria eat it and produce acid, which can wear away the teeth," she says. "It's important to limit the amount of time that the acid spends on teeth."

Did you know that not all candy is created alike when it comes to causing cavities? Sticky candies stay in between teeth a longer period of time and are not so easily removed by saliva, which means that the longer those sweets stay in your mouth the more prone you are to bacteria converting the sugars into acid and getting tooth decay. Sticky sweets like fruit rolls, gummy bears, Laffy Taffy, Starbursts and hard candy like lollipops, jawbreakers, Sweet Tarts or anything that stays in your mouth for long periods should be avoided.

"For those who are worried, a safer treat would be something like plain chocolate, which isn't too gooey or sticky, isn't too hard and can be easily cleaned away with brushing and flossing," Jenks says. To help make the holiday a little less terrifying for teeth, Jenks encourages those welcoming trick-or-treaters this Halloween to hand out treats with non-cariogenic sweeteners, such as xylitol, or alternative goodies such as stickers, small toys, art supplies and other inexpensive novelties. "When purchasing treats, remember to ask, 'would I want my own kids to eat this?'" Jenks says. "There are many other tooth-friendly options that can be bought at discount shops or dollar stores at a similar cost."

Halloween Quick Tips from the Experts:

-- Monitor your child's candy consumption.
-- Don't allow the child to eat candy throughout the day.
-- Avoid sticky foods such as gummy worms, fruit rolls, and taffy.
-- Give candy after dinner and make them brush their teeth before bedtime.
-- Chew sugarless candy after meals to reduce the bacteria level.
-- Avoid eating anything that stays in your mouth for long periods such as lollipops, jolly ranchers, etc.
-- If you're giving out candy this year, consider fun alternatives to sugary treats; including stickers, temporary tattoos, vampire teeth or noisemakers.