Healthy Halloween Treats That Protect Young Smiles

Halloween is just around the corner, and your kids are no doubt looking forward to trick-or-treating. But all those sugary treats can do serious damage to children’s teeth and gums, especially if they aren’t vigilant about brushing and flossing. If you’d like to give out Halloween treats this year that are healthier for kids and kinder to their teeth and gums, check out our list of alternative candies and treats:

• Sugar-free Candy: Offering sugar-free versions of popular candies is a great way to satisfy a sweet tooth without the sugar that leads to cavities. Sugar-free gum is also a great option because it stimulates saliva production, which helps keep teeth and gums clean.
• Nuts: Individual packets of nuts provide a satisfying crunch and can help break down any sticky candy that may be lingering on the teeth.
• Granola Bars: Look for low-sugar options that combine fruits, nuts, and grains. These are packed with protein and fiber, so they’ll also be more filling, helping to curb kids’ urges to overindulge in sugary candy.
• Dark Chocolate: This may come as a surprise to many parents, but chocolate contains two compounds (flavonoids and polyphenols) that inhibit oral bacteria, thereby slowing tooth decay. Dark chocolate has a higher concentration of these compounds and less sugar than milk chocolate, making it a better choice.
• Mini Mandarins or Clementines: Easy to handle, wrapped in their natural packaging, and naturally sweet, these fruits are ideal for handing out at Halloween.
• Pretzels: Small bags of pretzels are a crunchy, salty treat that kids love, without all the sugar, and they’re also low in calories.

Consider Non-Candy Treats

Children will receive a plethora of sweets when trick-or-treating, so if you want to forego the food route altogether, consider giving out treats that appeal to their sense of fun without overindulging. Consider inexpensive treats such as:

• Soap bubbles
• Glow sticks
• Stickers
• Mini bounce balls
• Halloween-themed pencils or pens
• Small packs of crayons
• Slap bracelets
• Spider rings
• Finger puppets
• Bookmarks
• Paddle balls
• Temporary tattoos
• Halloween-themed erasers
• Yo-yos

Minimizing Halloween Candy’s Effects

Halloween comes once a year, so there’s no need to banish candy from the house, but you do want to minimize the damage done by an occasional sweets binge:

• Have your kids eat their candy for the day in one sitting rather than spacing it throughout the day so that saliva has a chance to wash away any sugar clinging to their teeth.
• Avoid hard candies, sticky candies such as taffy or caramels, and sour candies whenever possible. These cling to teeth and gums.
• Chewing sugar-free gum helps clean teeth and reduce the production of acids.
• Ensure they brush and floss after consuming their Halloween treats.

Finally, November is an excellent time to schedule an appointment with Dr. Vakili for your child’s dental checkup and a thorough teeth cleaning before the next round of holidays!