Remember to take care of your teeth this Halloween, say dentists. For parents, the scariest thing about Halloween is likely to be your child’s monstrous consumption of sugar – with wizards worse than witches, according to the latest data.
With over 70 per cent of Aussie kids having more than the recommended daily amount of sugar, it’s a time to consider the devastating impact sugar is having on children’s oral health.
‘We don‘t want to be the fun police,’ said ADA President Dr Scott Davis. ‘Sweet treats in moderation are not a fast track to decay – it’s that repeated exposure that does the damage.
‘It’s not just lollies that are the problem either. There’s a gender divide when it comes to sweetened drinks. We know that almost half of all boys aged 2-17 will have sugary drinks at least once a week compared to just a third of girls of that age. Of those that do, boys have 2.8 cups a day and girls 1.6 cups.
‘Also with nearly 33,000 hospital admissions every year for children aged 0-14 for dental conditions, during Halloween it’s helpful to remember that preventative action will reduce the chances of these often urgent, painful admissions.
‘That means kids of all ages, whether on their own or assisted by adults, need to brush teeth twice a day and floss once a day, keep their sugar intake to a maximum of 24g a day or around 6 teaspoons, and see a dentist for regular checkups.’
Top tooth tips
When the trick or treating is over and the lolly tally back home starts, sink your teeth into these top tips from the ADA to ensure the family emerges from Halloween without their fangs as the casualties.
1. Consume sweets over a shorter period rather than repeatedly expose teeth to them over a prolonged period.
‘Every assault of sugar that goes into your mouth feeds bacteria there which creates acid, softening tooth enamel and exposing teeth to decay,’ said Dr Davis. ‘Doing this repeatedly for the week of Halloween and beyond, is cumulative and harmful.’
2. Get sugar savvy and swap out sweet treats for healthier and longer-lasting options like little games, toys or sports gear.
3. Eat your sweet treats after meals: the saliva produced to help digest larger quantities of food can also cleanse and buffer mouth pH from acids caused by food and drink.
4. Remind your witches and warlocks to rinse their mouths with water after eating anything sugary to swish away the acids and sugars in Halloween food and drink.
5. Drink party soft drinks with a straw so the liquid goes straight to the back of the throat, bypassing teeth.
6. Choose chocolate over sticky lollies which can clump in back molar teeth, are more difficult to remove and linger longer, increasing tooth decay risk.
7. Avoid lollipops which take time to eat and also sit in the mouth for long periods.
8. Keep your little demons happy with the ADA’s recipe book Tooth-friendly Treats which is full of delicious low-sugar recipes written by dentists.
For parents wanting more information on caring for kids’ and adults’ teeth, head to the ADA’s consumer website teeth.org.au where you’ll find pro-tips on brushing and flossing the right way.
