Did you say candy? Before you know it, Halloween will be here and even throughout the month, the chances of sneaking sweet treats wherever you go will be hard to resist! Not to mention, October is just the beginning of the holiday season where sweets, in general, will be lurking everywhere. So what’s a person to do?
As the spooky season begins you can arm yourself with these dental tips to keep your family’s smiles safe from the cavity monster! Here’s a short list of things to watch out for (especially if you or a family member is wearing braces)!
Dental Treat “Don’ts”
-Caramels
-Dried fruit snacks
-Fruit snacks
-Gummy anything
-Lifesavers
-Lollipops
-Skittles
-Sour candies
-Starbursts
-Taffy
-Tootsie Rolls
-Warheads
Dental Treat “Do’s”
-Cheese of all kinds
-Peanut butter cups, KitKats, 3 Musketeers
-Marshmallows
-Soft cookies like oatmeal, chocolate chip or peanut butter
-Sugar-free soft candy
-Peanut butter with apple slices or celery sticks
-Yogurt sticks
-Fruity green smoothies
-Cheez-It mini crackers, cheese puffs, Ritz Bits mini crackers
Family Fun Without Sweets
Instead of candy treats, come up with some festive candy alternatives:
-Enjoy non-edible treats: Visit the Dollar store, party store or discount store for Halloween-themed trinkets and goodies. Everything from pencils and erasers, stickers, bouncy balls, yo-yos, mini paint kits, coloring books/crayons, mini Play-doh, and plastic rings. Fake vampire teeth and temporary tattoos can provide some ghoulish excitement!
-Scary movie marathons: Pick your flicks depending on their age. Teens can handle scarier movies than the littles who might prefer Hocus Pocus, Monster House, and The Night Before Christmas while enjoying Halloween-themed snacks. You can even wear costumes to make it more fun.
-Carving the pumpkin night: Visit a pumpkin patch and let your family choose their favorite pumpkin, soon-to-be a jack-o’-lantern. For an added nutritional boost, toast the pumpkin seeds!
-Halloween-themed treats: Use cookie cutters to create boo-tiful shaped sandwiches or the topping on pizzas for a spooky twist. Make mummy sausages by wrapping premade dough around sausages.
-Have a few Halloween-themed family game nights: Play your favorite games with a spooky twist. Toilet paper mummies, pinning the face on the pumpkin for a jack-o-lantern effect, playing Clue to find out who slayed who, etc.
-Creating themed costumes: Pick a family favorite cartoon or TV show family; The Addams Family, Scooby Doo, Ghostbusters, Hocus Pocus and more!
-Make visiting a corn maze a family tradition: Wear comfortable walking shoes, dress warm and toasty and enjoy cider donuts and apple cider treats after scoping out the maze together. The crisp fall night air will help ring in Autumn with cheer!
-Organize a Scavenger Hunt: Put together a list of non-edible, non-candy goodies like a paperclip, party napkin, balloon, penny, paper plate, and Halloween ribbon…your possibilities are endless! Especially if you use some of the items listed in the Halloween-themed non-edible treats section above.
Happy Healthy Smiles
Our Valley View Dental team welcomes patients of all ages and considers you and your family part of our dental family! Our goal is to show you how to practice good daily oral hygiene and motivate you to come in for preventative dental care — routine cleanings, exams and prompt dental treatment. Halloween can be an exciting time to start off the upcoming holiday season ahead, and with a little creativity and the spirit of fun, you can make this season spooktacular, boo-tiful and a ghoulishly good time for your family! Their “fangs” will thank you!