How to look after your smile this Halloween in Kent

30 / 10 / 2023

Crook Log Dental Practice has a few tricks and tips to help minimise your risk of decay this Autumn, so you can happily enjoy your Halloween treats, guilt-free!

Choose Dark over Milk Chocolate

Dark chocolate contains less sugar than milk and white chocolate and a higher percentage of cocoa. Cocoa beans contain theobromine, which has been shown to remineralise teeth.

Dark chocolate may not be to everyone’s taste, perhaps this may sway you. Most dark chocolate is rich in plant chemicals called flavanols. Flavanols are antioxidants linked to a lower risk of heart disease. In theory, dark chocolate will contain higher flavanol content (greater health benefit). This can help improve blood flow and reduce blood pressure whilst elevating energy levels!

Enjoy your sweet treats at mealtimes

Every time you enjoy something sugary, it feeds the bacteria living on your teeth, creating harmful acids at the same time. These acids soften the enamel on your teeth, making them more susceptible to erosion and decay. It takes your saliva around 30 minutes to neutralise this acidity. If you wait 30 minutes and then eat another sugary snack the whole process starts again and your teeth are endlessly subjected to acidic conditions.

Our dentists at Crook Log Dental Practice recommend eating your sweet treats in fewer sittings, preferably at mealtimes, preventing this continuous acid attack.

Try not to snack on sweet treats throughout the day and evening over the Halloween holiday period, our tip is too chew sugar-free chewing gum to keep snacking at bay!

Damage control

There are a few things you can do to limit the damage after eating your sugary treats. Many of us would rush to clean our teeth but as we’ve learned, your teeth soften during this acid attack and you could cause more damage by brushing.

Allow your enamel 30 minutes to re-harden first if you want to brush. In the meantime, drinking water and chewing sugar-free gum can help to stimulate saliva flow and wash away sugary food debris and bacteria.

Avoid sticky candy and sweets, stick to chocolate

Avoid sticky, sour, and hard candies this Halloween. Sticky sweets are called that for a reason: they stick to your teeth. Remnants of sticky sweets and caramels are difficult to remove, even with diligent brushing and flossing. The remaining bits of sweet can cause rapid tooth decay.

Chocolate treats can easily be washed away by drinking a glass of water or milk, and unlike other candy that is sticky, gooey, and hard, chocolate doesn’t linger as long on your teeth.

For more information and help on cutting down on your sugar, please visit https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/eat-well/how-to-eat-a-balanced-diet/how-to-cut-down-on-sugar-in-your-diet/

Practice Good Oral Hygiene

The last thing you or your child will want to do on a busy, tiresome Halloween night is brush and floss your teeth before bed. But whatever you do, prioritise your night-time oral care routine.Failing to brush your teeth at the end of the day gives the bad bacteria in your mouth many hours to feast on the debris and release acids that cause tooth decay and gum disease.

Bacteria breaks down the enamel of your teeth, leading to tooth decay, cavities, and gum disease. When you go right to bed without brushing, the plaque in your mouth begins to harden. Once plaque calcifies, it becomes calculus (tartar) and is impervious to simple brushing, costing you a trip to our dental Hygienist!

Protect your smile

Think twice before using any goofy fake teeth or prosthetics this Halloween. Always read warning labels on any accessories for your mouth such as plastic vampire teeth and make sure to consult with your dentist should you have any more questions.

Also, make sure that if you’re using fake teeth with your child’s costume that they do not pose a choking hazard to your little one. By considering these tips, you can all have a great time trick or treating or partying!

Please visit Hygienist Bexleyheath | Dental Hygiene Kent | Crook Log Dental (crooklogdentalpractice.co.uk) for more information.

How do I book an appointment?

If you would like further information about registering to join as a new patient at our Bexleyheath-based dental practice, please call our team on 020 8303 3838 who will arrange a date and time suitable for you.