Don’t Let Halloween Treats Cause Cavities!

With Halloween just a few days away, you and your family will likely be tricking or treating, or attending a spooky party. This means you’ll be enjoying plenty of sugary sweets. While the occasional Halloween treat is fine, too much could mean a greater risk of a painful dental cavity. However, with the right steps and routine visits with your Albuquerque, NM, dentist, you can help protect your smile!

Halloween and Tooth Decay

When we eat foods containing lots of sugar, this leaves particles on or between the teeth. Harmful bacteria will then consume these particles, a process that not only elevates oral acidity, but coats the teeth in a sticky layer of plaque buildup. Unless removed, plaque eventually weakens the outer enamel, eroding this protective layer and allowing bacteria access to the sensitive inner layers within, causing a cavity to form. The teeth will then begin to ache or feel sensitive, and the decay could grow more severe with time and eventually lead to a dental infection!

Keeping Teeth Healthy

In order to avoid painful complications, we suggest cutting back on how much sugar you and your family eat each day. Try to follow your candy with a glass of water to cleans your mouth, and if you have kids may consider letting them exchange their candy to you for a small toy or video game. Make time to brush your teeth for two minutes each day, once when waking up and again before going to bed. Flossing before going to sleep as well! These steps help remove sugary particles and keep the mouth clean and healthy. If your house is handing out sweets this year, you can also help safeguard smiles in the neighborhood by offering fun candy alternatives, such as stickers, temporary tattoos, packages of crayons, or Halloween party favors!

Treatment Options

If you do begin to experience pain in one or more of your teeth, let us know right away. If we discover a cavity, then we may be able to repair the issue in a single sitting with a dental filling. Our fillings are metal-free and created with a composite resin that we can shade to match the color of your teeth. With routine visits for checkups and cleanings, we can monitor your smile and watch for signs of cavities and offer early treatment. We can also clean your teeth to remove plaque buildup completely. If you have any questions about protecting smiles this Halloween, then contact our team today.

Ready for a Dental Cleaning?

We would love to help you and your family enjoy healthy smiles free of painful cavities. For more information on avoiding tooth decay, then schedule a consultation with us by calling Snow Park Dental in Albuquerque, NM, today at (505) 596-4479.

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