ACT compensated me for my time on this sponsored post and provided me with an ‘Anticavity Goody Bag’ containing items like a product sample and dentist-friendly treats, but as always, all thoughts and opinions are my own.
It’s almost time for the second favorite holiday for most kids; Halloween! Kids will be getting all kinds of delicious goodies on Halloween night, and if you are anything like us, at one other time besides the big night. We have a Trunk or Treat at school and also at soccer. There is so much candy in our house by the end of October, I never know what to do with it all. There is no way we could ever eat it all.
Along with Halloween is the fear of parents’ being brought to the forefront more than usual. Thanks to all those sugary treats, parents are even more concerned about the possibility of their children getting cavities. No parent wants to see their kids hurting from cavities but no parent wants to completely eliminate the candy given to kids if they go out for Halloween. Yeah, I want to be a fun parent and I want my kids to enjoy Halloween like I used to. But, I don’t want to have to be worried about them getting cavities and the horrible dental appointments that come with those.
We have decided that we are going to “SCARE AWAY” cavities this year and every year from here on out! Want to know how we are going to do this? Check it out:
- We bought a 2 minute timer for our bathroom sink. We turn that over when the kids start brushing so they can have a visual reminder about how long to brush. It seems like every night they say “I didn’t know it was that long!”, which tells me that they haven’t been doing 2 minutes at all. We are glad to have the timer to keep them on track.
2. We will be drinking lots and lots of water and cutting out sweet drinks. Luckily, this will not be a hard adjustment for us as my kids usually only drink water. Drinking water helps to keep your teeth stronger (if it contains fluoride) as well as getting debris off of the teeth throughout the day.
3. We are going to limit the amount of candy the kids eat. It is so easy to go “hog wild” when the candy bag is open, for kids and adults! But, this is not going to be allowed this year. The kids will not be eating sugar before lunch, at which time they will be allowed one piece of candy. They will also get a piece if they eat their dinner. There will be no candy before bed. The most they will be allowed in a day is 2 or 3 pieces of candy.
4. We are going to remove gummy candy from the bags and toss them immediately. Those gummy candies are just horrible for your teeth. They get stuck in between the teeth or in the teeth themselves. They can just sit there until your child brushes their teeth, but the damage may be done quicker than you think. Why take the chance? Just get rid of those now!
5. The most important thing the kids are going to do is use dental products that are good for their teeth. The kids will be getting new toothbrushes, as they do every month. They also will be using ACT Kids Anticavity Rinse. Did you know that ACT Kids Anticavity Rinse was ranked as the #1 recommended children’s mouthwash by pharmacists in the 2016 OTC Guide from Pharmacy Times? Well it is and it is important to get kids started on using it when they are 6 years old (and older). This is the age the ACT Kids Anticavity Rinse is intended to be used for.
I want to remind you as well as myself while writing this that Halloween is only one day a year, but the effects can be lifelong. Not only do kids have candy on Halloween, but usually for days to weeks (or months!) after that day. Keeping up good habits, like those I mentioned above, to scare away cavities is important! My older two children use ACT Kids Anticavity Rinse regularly, at the advice of our pediatric dentist. We will be using it until which time they need to use an adult-intended product.
Keeping our kids safe on Halloween is much more than making sure they are seen on the street and don’t eat dangerous, opened candy. It is taking care of their oral health too!
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