At Hawkins Complete Dental Service in Zanesville, OH, we provide the latest technology to prevent, detect, and treat threats to your family’s oral health.

And there’s no holiday that poses a threat to clean, healthy teeth quite like Halloween!

Today, we’re hoping to help families get through the fun night of fright without spoiling anyone’s smile!

Don’t Let Halloween Candy Spoil Your Family’s Smiles

As you plan ahead for a fun family night of trick-or-treating, keep these healthy teeth tips in mind so your family’s smiles are safe:

*Avoid A Dental Emergency*

We treat dental emergencies in Zanesville, OH, but the ideal is to try and avoid them in the first places.

For Halloween, that means making sure trick-or-treating with the kids is as hazard-free as possible.

Keep the walking path clear with a flashlight to prevent tripping or falling on curbs and steps, and also make sure that costumes don’t impede your child’s ability to see or walk easily.

*Be Picky About Candy*

The kids’ candy bags will be filled with a wide variety of treats, so it’s important to be picky in order to best protect their teeth from cavities.

A good rule of thumb when it comes to sugar-packed snacks and sweets is to stay away from those that are hard and sticky.

The reason is that the amount of time your teeth are exposed to sugar is worse for your teeth than how much you take in during the day. So sucking on a piece of hard candy for awhile or eating a gooey-centered piece of chocolate could do more harm to your teeth than eating five pieces of solid chocolate in one sitting, for example.

So try to practice moderation with candy that contains things like toffee, nuts, marshmallow, suckers, or caramel.

*Drink Up & Rinse Out*

There are two reasons why Halloween is a time that calls for extra caution when it comes to hydration.

First, adding a piece of candy here and there into your daily diet makes all that time in between your morning and nightly oral hygiene routine a bit more risky for your teeth.

We recommend rinsing your mouth out with water after a meal or eating candy just to help wash away the sugar and food particles until it’s time to brush and floss again.

Second, staying hydrated is what helps your body produce saliva. There are natural agents in saliva that actively fighting against harmful bacteria, and it also coats your teeth and gums to defend them against acids and stains.

So remember to drink up and rinse out!

*Cavity Prevention Is A Must*

So far, we’ve given you helpful tips that aim to keep everyone in your family smiling.

But the steps you take at home to protect your family’s teeth are only part of keeping their mouths healthy.

You should also take advantage of some of our preventive treatments to seal out harmful bacteria that lead to tooth decay and cavities. At your family’s next dental checkup, ask Dr. Hawkins if you or anyone else in your household could benefit from our fluoride applications and dental sealants!

Schedule An Appointment

This time of year is supposed to be fun, with the costumes, the trick-or-treating, and of course, the candy.

But all that fun can result in dental problems if you’re not careful.

Dr. Hawkins and our team hope you and the kiddos enjoy Halloween and will be here when it’s over to help you keep everyone in your family on track for great oral health.

Call Hawkins Complete Dental Service in Zanesville, OH today at 740-214-1301 or fill out our convenient online form to schedule an appointment.