CANDY SEASON A PERFECT TIME FOR HONOURING YOUR ORAL HEALTH

Since mid-August, Lakeport Dental staff have been seeing bags and boxes of treats – mini candy bars; small suckers; wrapped caramels; chips and salty treats – lining the “back-to-school” aisles of Niagara grocery stores and pharmacies. 

As October 31 approaches (or any time after Labour Day), those back-to-school aisles conveniently become the Halloween aisles, as retailers switch over to the push to sell sugary treats to mark the beginning of candy season (you know, that time from Halloween to Easter, when we are programmed to celebrate with chocolate and other sweets).

It’s all a marketing ploy, to keep people buying the sweet stuff, like a tacit encouragement to families that “sweet treats are okay!” Maybe small amounts are okay, but you have to look out for your oral health at the same time.

​EVERY YEAR, WE LIKE TO REVIEW TIPS FOR COPING WITH CANDY SEASON, AND TO REMIND FAMILIES THAT AUTUMN IS A GREAT TIME TO BOOK DENTAL CHECKUPS, GET NEW TOOTHBRUSHES, AND INSTIL GOOD RINSE, BRUSH AND FLOSS HABITS IN OUR CHILDREN. 

• - Our favourite coping strategy is to avoid the purchase of sweets altogether, and to focus instead on providing little trick-or-treaters with art supplies. One family we know has fun shopping for them during back-to-school sale time and at local dollar stores, and the children have fun putting together little bags to share with their friends and classmates. Pencils, erasers, notebooks and stickers are some of their favourites. Sometimes, they even put a new toothbrush in the bag, too!


• - One suggestion that came to us from a Niagara mom involves booking family dental checkups for the week after Halloween. “Your kids come home with bags of candy, and you let them choose a few treats to keep out until AFTER they have been to the dentist,” she said. “Once that checkup is done, allow them to choose a few more treats … then quietly slip the bags into the freezer, to use when baking holiday treats for their schools.” She admitted this strategy only worked when her children were in elementary school.


• - Make Halloween treats the exception, rather than the rule for family snacks. Encourage kids to continue healthy snacking habits at home, offering fresh fruit and veggies; multigrain crackers and natural peanut butter; cheese; yogurt; pretzels; milk; water and caffeine-free drinks that are low in sugar. Allow sweet treats on special occasions, and encourage children to rinse, brush and floss after any kind of meal or snack, reminding them they are in charge of keeping their mouths healthy.
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• - If you are participating in Halloween and want little munchies to give out, switch out the sweet treats to school-appropriate treats. Anything peanut- or tree-nut-free that comes in portion-controlled packaging will do for most schools, but check your school’s policy before purchasing. Our staff suggests granola bars; goldfish-type crackers; pretzels; dried fruit snacks; apple, banana, plantain or veggie chips; gluten-free cereal “trail mix” with no nuts; sugar-reduced juice boxes and sugar-reduced fruit cups or puddings.

​Back-to-school and Halloween time should come with a big push from the oral health providers in the country: Remember to rinse, brush and floss after every meal and snack! After a good social media campaign, with sharing between various platforms, we might all eventually get the idea that the best time to look after our oral health is now.

It’s possible the sweet treat marketing people have it only partially correct: Sweet treats are okay … but in moderation and controlled portions, and when combined with proper dietary and oral health habits.

If you aren’t sure what those are, it’s time to come see our Lakeport Dental team of experts!

​To make an appointment, call our offices at 905-934-0235

Or click here to schedule an appointment!