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It’s almost halloween. The shops are filled with all manner of halloween merchandise from the spooky and amusing to the downright ghoulish and ghastly. As well as the usual costumes, characters and decorations, there is also an incredible range of halloween confectionary on display to tempt the children – a true nightmare for teeth-conscious parents. And then there is the inevitable trick or treating too, which seems to feature ever increasing volumes of sweet treats. So what can you do to help your children have a happy but tooth-friendly halloween and half term? Here are some top tips.

Halloween handicraft

Halloween traditionally marks the half term holidays. It can be a challenge to keep the kids away from the lure of sweets and snacks throughout their well earned week off. Keeping them busy is one of the most effective ways to distract them. Why not get creative and set them to work on some halloween handicraft that will keep their little hands off the sugary snacks? With such an excellent range of crafting materials available both online and in high street retailers, families can have immense fun making their own halloween decorations, costumes and more – the only limit is your imagination (but luckily there is Google to help with that too). Order online and you won’t even have to drag the kids past sweet-filled displays!

Monstrous munchies

Get the kids to create some creepy cakes or spooky snacks during the break. Look for recipes that are based on sugar-free or low sugar ingredients to reduce the risk to your children’s teeth. If you are cooking with chocolate, consider using dark chocolate as an alternative. It typically has a considerably lower sugar content than milk chocolate (but do check the labels as this does vary from product to product).

You might also want to consider substituting sweets and processed snacks for natural alternatives such as nuts, dried fruit and fresh fruit – all of which you can have some frightful fun with. Don’t overlook how much halloween fun can also be had with seasonal vegetables for both main meals and snacks too. Dentists do, however, recommend that sweet snacks and foods are consumed at mealtimes wherever possible. This reduces the amount of time that your children’s teeth are exposed to sugar.

Have your pumpkin and eat it

You’ve almost certainly had fun carving pumpkins with the kids. But did you know that pumpkin can be used for a variety of delicious and nutritious dishes too, and not just the famous pumpkin pie. Why not hunt around for some good quality pumpkins (squashes work well too) and experiment with some creepy cuisine. There are plenty of ideas available online. You can’t always have your cake and eat it – but who said the same has to be true for pumpkins?

Don’t forget the fangs

It’s particularly easy at times like half term to let the kids have a bit of a break from the usual routine and give them a little more freedom in the evening. This is all well and good, but be sure not to let them off the hook when it comes to polishing those fangs. Brushing the teeth at least twice a day for at least two minutes is essential to maintaining healthy teeth for the future. Especially at a time of year when sugar consumption tends to be higher than normal.

Here at Sharoe Green Dental Practice in Preston, we pride ourselves in offering a friendly and caring environment for the whole family. If you have any concerns about your childrens’ teeth, we are more than happy to discuss them with you and arrange a visit with a dentist as required. To book an appointment for your family now or to enquire about joining the practice, call us on Preston 01772 718753 or contact us online with our simple form available here.