{"id":229,"date":"2019-10-24T16:58:49","date_gmt":"2019-10-24T16:58:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.mitchellsmiledesign.com\/blog\/?p=229"},"modified":"2022-03-23T13:09:49","modified_gmt":"2022-03-23T13:09:49","slug":"8-tips-for-a-tooth-healthy-halloween","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mitchellsmiledesign.com\/blog\/2019\/10\/24\/8-tips-for-a-tooth-healthy-halloween\/","title":{"rendered":"8 Tips for a Tooth-Healthy Halloween"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"Halloween<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Halloween is right around the corner, which means that it\u2019s\nofficially spooky season. However, that\u2019s no excuse to let your dental health\nhabits slide. We\u2019ve compiled this list of Halloween candy tips to help cause as\nlittle damage to your\nteeth<\/a> as possible this holiday. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

1. Avoid Sticky Candies <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Sticky items like taffy or gummies stay attached to your\nteeth for longer because it takes more time for saliva to wash them away. Because\nthey stay on your teeth longer, bacteria in your mouth have plenty of time to\ningest this sugar and create acid that erodes your tooth enamel and puts you at\nan increased risk for painful cavities.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. Time Your Snacking Right <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re going to consume Halloween candy, try and do so with\nyour meals or soon afterwards. Your mouth produces more saliva around mealtime.\nSaliva is crucial in preventing tooth decay because it washes away excess\nparticles of food and bacteria that would otherwise cause cavities. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. Don\u2019t Lay Out a Bowl of Candy <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

This can leave you more vulnerable to the temptation to\nsnack throughout the day, which is detrimental to not only your diet, but your\ndental health as well. The longer that sugar stays in your mouth, the more\nhavoc that harmful bacteria can wreak. Do your teeth a favor and limit your\ncandy consumption to mealtimes. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

4. Limit Sugary Drinks <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In the same vein, sipping sugary beverages over a long\nperiod of time can do some serious damage to your teeth. Stay away from sodas,\nsports and energy drinks, and flavored water if you can. Hydrate with regular\nwater instead. It will quench your thirst as well as wash away any harmful\nsugar particles that put you at risk for tooth decay. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

5. Chew Sugar-Free Gum <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Did you know that chewing sugarless gum can help clean your\nteeth? This is because the act of chewing stimulates the production of saliva\nthat rinses out your mouth of any detrimental bacteria. It\u2019s never a bad idea\nto pack a stick of sugar-free gum in your or your child\u2019s lunch, especially\nafter consuming candy. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

6. Brush Twice a Day <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Be sure to use toothpaste with fluoride, as it\u2019s a natural\noccurring mineral that gives your teeth more strength to fight cavities. Also,\nwait at least half an hour after eating to brush, since that gives your saliva\na chance to neutralize the acids in the foods you ate. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

7. Don\u2019t Forget to Floss <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Brushing alone only cleans three of the five surfaces of\nyour teeth, so be sure to clean in between them as well. Even if you can\u2019t\nbrush in the middle of the day, nothing is stopping you from taking a container\nof floss to lunch with you and keeping your mouth clean at work or school. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

8. Visit Your Dentist <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Scheduling an appointment with your dentist after Halloween\nis a no-brainer. That way he or she can treat any cavities that may have been\ncaused by eating all that candy. You can also get a professional cleaning to\nmake your smile shine. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Just because Halloween is right around the corner is no\nreason to let your oral hygiene fall by the wayside. Follow these tips to keep\nyour smile nice, clean, and healthy. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

About the Author <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Dr. Brad Mitchell earned his dental degree from the\nUniversity of Oklahoma. He is a member of the American Dental Association, the\nOklahoma Dental Association, and the Academy of General Dentistry. He\nwholeheartedly believes that being a dentist is the best job in the world, and\nthat through his job, he can change a patient\u2019s life. He wants to make sure\nyour teeth are nice and clean this holiday season. To book your next cleaning\nwith Dr. Mitchell, contact\nhim through his website<\/a> or call (405) 755-2670.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Halloween is right around the corner, which means that it\u2019s officially spooky season. However, that\u2019s no excuse to let your dental health habits slide. We\u2019ve compiled this list of Halloween candy tips to help cause as little damage to your teeth as possible this holiday.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-229","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mitchellsmiledesign.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/229","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mitchellsmiledesign.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mitchellsmiledesign.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mitchellsmiledesign.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mitchellsmiledesign.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=229"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.mitchellsmiledesign.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/229\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":231,"href":"https:\/\/www.mitchellsmiledesign.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/229\/revisions\/231"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mitchellsmiledesign.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=229"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mitchellsmiledesign.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=229"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mitchellsmiledesign.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=229"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}