It will not be the candy binge on Halloween that will give the children tooth decay, but precisely because of the large quantities of sugar ingested the Night of the Witches this can be a great excuse to teach them about cavity prevention. After having returned home from parties or “trick or treat” patrols, parents must remind their children of the rules of oral hygiene and put them into practice.
Caries is a problem for many schoolchildren all over the world: 60 to 90% of them are affected, says the World Health Organization. However, even adults are not protected, quite the contrary: according to the WHO, almost 100% of the adults have dental caries.
Caries are the work of bacteria present in the mouth that exploit the sugars ingested producing acidic substances that attack the tissues of the tooth until it “digs” into it. Therefore, it is advisable to reduce the consumption of snacks and refined sugars. Here are some suggestions from the Dental Center of the Humanitas Hospital, to also make Halloween the party of oral hygiene.
Don’t exaggerate. With constriction you do not get the desired results, so I recommend that parents talk to children to explain why it is important to eat a few candies, a few at a time and maybe distribute the “bundle” of Halloween in the following days.
Keep away from the most insidious candies. Very hard candies can also cause micro-fractures, damage to the surface of teeth, even in adults with stronger teeth.
Soft but no less deceptive candies. Toffee, for example, can remain attached to the teeth for a long time and therefore slowly attack them. It will certainly not be a soft candy that causes tooth decay, but it is good to know what can happen to your teeth by eating too much.
Not only sugars. To limit the risk of tooth decay, attention must also be paid to the acidic substances contained in certain types of candy. It is the combination of acids and sugars that creates the ideal soil for the onset of caries: acid tends to ruin the enamel while sugar penetrates and attacks the tissues.
Not just candy: what to drink? A glass of water after eating candies and sweets is good for a first rinse: You should avoid carbonated drinks or fruit juices that are too sweet, and ones that also contain non-natural sweeteners.
The ABC of tooth cleaning. The basic rules are to brush your teeth 2/3 times a day and use dental floss at least once. Even if it were not very easy, it would be useful to teach children how to floss. This reduces the bacterial load: not only does it prevent bad breath, but it also protects the body from potentially pathogenic agents by ingestion through food.
Sentinel parents. Up to the age of 6-7 years, fathers or mothers must brush their children’s teeth. Once they have grown up, they should instead check that they have done it correctly, otherwise they should have them washed again.
Prevent tooth decay with fun! The secret is to make the moment when you brush your teeth a fun moment and above all that it is not experienced as an obligation. Why not think of some kind of reward? First you brush your teeth and then you watch half an hour of TV or you play a little more together.
