Dental health this Halloween

At Halloween many people like to dress up and go trick or treating and are given sweets as a treat. The supermarkets are packed with sweets on the aisles and sweets and chocolate tend to be the treat of choice to celebrate Halloween. However, eating too many sweet treats can lead to tooth decay and people should be mindful of this.

I recently read a report that advised that the worst treats are generally those that take a long time to dissolve. Treats such as gummy sweets or those that are sticky, which is probably quite a lot of sweets that tend to be on offer at this time of year. Furthermore, sweets which are sticky, can cause damage to crowns and fillings, by sticking or pulling on them. Lollipops are another treat that can be potentially damaging, due to the length of time to eat one. The longer one spends eating a lollipop means that the mouth is in an acidic state.

However, fear not, there is some good news in that chocolate is deemed to be a much better treat! Chocolate can be eaten relatively quickly and dissolves faster than sticky or gummy sweets.

Tooth decay

If treats are not consumed in moderation, then this can lead to tooth decay. Tooth decay is as a result of bacteria that enters a person’s mouth and makes acid, which leads to a hole in the tooth, known as a cavity.

In order to prevent tooth decay, it is necessary to brush teeth regularly and have a healthy diet and avoid eating too many sugary snacks and drinks. It is also important to attend the dentist for regular checkups or as and when directed by your dentist.

Problems of tooth decay

If tooth decay is undiagnosed, this can lead to the following problems:

– Toothache
– Swelling in the gums near a painful tooth
– Abscesses
– Bad breath
– Extraction of teeth

The extraction of teeth can be a daunting experience and if a number of teeth require extraction this can cause anxiety, pain and suffering and in some cases a fear of attending the dentist. Therefore, it is important that people try and maintain a good level of oral hygiene to prevent problems.

Summary

Halloween can be the time that many people over indulge and eat a lot of sweets or chocolates in one sitting or over a period of time. Whilst people should not necessarily refrain from eating a few sweets or chocolates this Halloween, it is important to be mindful of your dental health to avoid problems. It is also important to be mindful of your dental health throughout the year and not just at Halloween. If you are celebrating Halloween, then it is wise to try and eat sweets or chocolates in moderation. Further, given that a lot of people are currently facing delays accessing dental treatment, as a result of Covid 19, it can mean that you may not be seen as quickly if you are experiencing toothache.