Here we go again! It’s ghost and goblin time – otherwise known as Halloween and the time that many might think the dental team at Brinkley, located in north Brampton, might not be a big fan of. It’s simply not true! Just because we care about your teeth doesn’t mean we are anti-Halloween! In fact, we can’t think of a better time to talk about oral health care than during a time when eating candy is not only popular but “allowable!” What are you doing to celebrate Halloween this year?
October 31st is on a Monday and a school night so there’s a pretty good chance it won’t be quite as busy as those years when Halloween takes place on a weekend. As well, the time change doesn’t happen until November 6th here in Ontario so there’s really no predicting what time little ones will hit the streets and bigger ones will knock on the door to take away any leftovers! (By the way, if you’re concerned about leftover Halloween candy, you’re just not doing it right lol!)
What does all this talk about halloween and candy have to do with teeth you might ask? Well, the answer is likely obvious. Too much of a “good” thing can be “bad.” Who doesn’t love the occasionally sugary, sweet caramel sticky treat? Whether your go to candy is a caramel, a chocolate, a licorice or a sour patch candy – there WILL be residue. The stickier the treat the more likely the leftovers and leftover crud (let’s be real, it’s crud) can build up on your enamel causing plaque, tartar and bacteria build up. The risk is greater because some of us, we’re not saying you, but some of us, wait til the kiddos go to bed before sneaking a treat and if you are eating candy right before your own bedtime and then forget to brush – that’s a problem!
You know what to do: Brush your teeth, rinse and consider a swish of mouthwash or flossing to get rid of the particularly sticky bits. Enjoy your treat(s) but just remember your teeth will last a whole lot longer than your itty, bitty, teeny, weeny chocolate bar so you need to treat them well, perhaps even with a little extra care and attention during this Halloween season. Take it from us, we’ve seen the odd dental emergency at this time of year so a little extra effort while brushing may just help prevent a chipped tooth or other emergency arising from too many goodies!
In the meantime, we’re excited to share these two Halloween related lists we thought might be of interest to you.
First off for the kiddos: Seven Ways of Staying Safe
- Always have an adult with you (or nearby) while trick-or-treating.
- Never eat any candy until it’s been approved by an adult and it’s best this happens once you’ve returned home from your adventures.
- Carry a flashlight to help light the way.
- Avoid criss-crossing on the streets – do one side of the street then safely cross at an intersection or crosswalk to do the other side.
- Avoid masks that restrict your eyesight or preferably, avoid masks altogether and rely on face paint instead.
- Stay in well-lit areas and only knock on the doors of homes that are also well-lit and are participating in Halloween.
- There are a growing number of neighbourhoods providing a more accessible Halloween experience by placing a table on their driveway and making treats available that way. This is in order to prevent the potential for injury from tripping on stairs and to make the event more accessible to children and families who require mobility aids or might otherwise be restricted. Maybe this is the year your family does something similar!
For the adults: Did You Know? Six Fun Facts About Halloween
- The number one, all time favourite Halloween treat, according to various experts is – ? If you guessed Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups you would be correct.
- What came second? Surprisingly, at least to us – Skittles! Followed by two more non chocolatey treats, then it wasn’t until number five on the list that chocolate reappears, with Snickers rounding out the top five favourite halloween treats.
- The dollar value of Halloween treats sold on average each year is – approximately $485+ million dollars! That’s according to Bloomberg and that is a lot of candy! This year, because it’s considered the first “normal” halloween of the past several years, some analysts think even more candy than usual will be sold.
- The average household hands out 2-3 mini sized candy bars/bags of treats per trick-or-treater or, as in the case of one blogger we found – “do what’s right in your soul!” Now that’s a person who takes halloween pretty seriously.
- Because halloween is non-religious, non-ethnic and non-political it quickly became (and remains) a favourite “holiday” for many because it really does offer something for pretty much everyone.
- Favourite costume in 2022? It appears the witch is still the most reached for costume in the “tickle trunk” for both adults and children although this year, costumes that reflect the Stranger Things TV series are expected to be hugely popular. For teens and adults, Ted Lasso also appears to be making a splash.
Now if you’ll excuse us, it’s time to go and prepare for the trick-or-treaters in our neighbourhood! In the meantime however, if all that candy gives you a dental hangover, and you live close to the community our Brinkley Dental Team offices are located (hint, we mentioned it earlier) give us a call to book an appointment and as always, “don’t forget to be a BFF with your mouth and Brush that Smile!”
