Published: October 13, 2008 03:34 pm            

Healthy teeth during candy season

By Tiffany Green

STAFF WRITER



Parents worry about their children’s teeth, especially during the start of the holiday season, beginning with Halloween.

There are many precautions that can be taken to prevent children from having problems with their teeth.

"I generally recommend limiting sweets, soft drinks and other food with no nutritional value, to one junk food day per week,” Carmen Moss, of Cullman Cosmetic Dentistry, said. “It's important to eat healthy and drink clean, pure water the rest of the week."

She said the number one thing is to not eat too much candy.

“I know kids will, so I can’t just say don’t eat candy,” Moss said. “Make sure you brush your teeth right after.”

Moss said sugar increases bacteria in the mouth. Bacteria releases acid causing the destruction of the enamel.

Moss said it is important not to eat all the candy you get at Halloween.

“Parents need to go through the candy,” she said. “Hard candy is the worst because it sits in your mouth for so long. It is better to just eat a candy bar and get it over with. It’s ok to throw some away.”

Moss said if you are prone to cavities, a prescription fluoride is good. Children with cavities usually do not eat healthy and have poor oral hygiene. Parents must assist their children in brushing and flossing until they have mastered it, she added.

“It is good to brush with a prescription fluoride toothpaste,” she said. “But kids with healthy diets do not need it.”

Before starting to munch on a snack, ask what's in it. Is it loaded with sugar? If it is, think about having some fruit or raw vegetables. Keep in mind that certain kinds of sweets can do more damage than others. Gooey or chewy sweets spend more time sticking to the surface of your teeth. Because sticky snacks stay in your mouth longer than foods you quickly chew and swallow, they give your teeth a longer sugar bath.

People should also think about when and how often they are eating snacks. Damaging acids form in your mouth every time you eat a sugary snack. The acids continue to affect teeth for at least 20 minutes before they are neutralized and can't do any more harm. So, the more times people eat sugary snacks during the day, the more often they feed bacteria the fuel they need to cause tooth decay.



Here are some tips to help keep teeth healthy and strong



Ask dentist to teach the proper way to brush and floss

Don’t eat sugary foods in between meals

If you do eat between meals, try to brush at least twice a day and spend at least three minutes brushing

Be sure the tooth brush you are using has soft bristles

Always floss

Visit your dentist twice a year

Always eat healthy

And don’t forget to smile



Healthy snacks



Berries

Oranges

Grapefruit

Melons

Pineapples

Carrots

Cucumbers

Plain bagels

Unbuttered popcorn

Baked tortilla chips

Milk or dairy products

Yogurt

        

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