Six tips to protect your children’s teeth this Halloween

Halloween is just around the corner. It’s a time for young witches, wizards, ghosts and monsters to embark on the annual tradition of knocking on doors and collecting sweets.

However, given the amount of sweets and chocolate that kids get at Halloween, it’s normal for parents to feel anxious about their children’s health.

We certainly don’t want to spoil the fun of Halloween and forbid children from going out and trick-or-treating. After all, Halloween is something that many children look forward to throughout the year. That said, there are a few simple things you can do to minimize the damage to your children’s teeth while still allowing them to take part in the fun. Keep reading to find out what they are.

1. Choose the right kind of sweets

Not all sweets are equal – some sweets are worse for our teeth than others. For example, sticky sweets, like gummy bears, tend to get stuck to teeth very easily. This increases the risk of cavities. For this reason, it’s best to avoid eating sticky sweets.

It’s also best to avoid sweets that stay in your mouth for a long time. Gobstoppers are an example. The longer a sweet stays inside your mouth, the more time it has to do damage to your teeth. Therefore, choose sweets that are quick to eat instead.

2. Don’t let your children snack on sweets

Some parents put all the sweets in a big bowl and let the children snack freely. However, snacking on sweets throughout the day and night is a bad idea. This is because it increases the amount of time that your teeth are exposed to sugar. For this reason, it’s best to let your children eat sweets after meals instead, as a dessert. Not only does this limit the amount of occasions for eating sweets, but there is also the added protection from the saliva produced during the meal. Saliva helps to neutralize acids and protect your teeth.

3. Give some of the sweets away

Once trick-or-treating is over, the question is, what do you do with all the sweets? One option is to give some away to friends or family members. Some dentists have even been known to offer a take-back program for sweets.

4. Provide your children with plenty of water

Water is great for your teeth because it neutralizes acidity and creates a hostile environment for bacteria. For these reasons, make sure your children have plenty of water available when they are eating their sweets.

5. Chew gum

Gum is a great thing to chew on after eating sweets. This is because chewing gum promotes the production of saliva in your mouth.

6. Make sure your children brush their teeth before going to bed

With all the excitement of Halloween, it can be easy to forget the day-to-day tasks like brushing your teeth. However, on Halloween, it’s more important to brush your teeth than ever, to protect your teeth from all the sweets.

That’s it from us this month. We hope you have a great Halloween!

How to clean your teeth if you have braces

Braces are a great way to get a more beautiful smile. However, they do require a bit of extra maintenance to keep your teeth nice and clean. In this post, we’ll tell you how to keep your teeth clean when you’re wearing braces. Specifically, we’ll go over the topics of brushing, flossing and rinsing.

Brushing your teeth with braces

Brushing your teeth with braces isn’t difficult. It’s very similar to how you would brush your teeth normally. However, there are some slight differences to your brushing routine when you have braces. We’ll go over them here.

One difference is that will have to brush your teeth more often. This is because food can easily get trapped between your brackets and under your wires. If you leave the food in there, it can lead to plaque and tooth decay, and it can even damage your braces. Therefore, you may need to brush your teeth three or four times a day instead of the two times a day that is normally recommended.

Another thing to keep in mind is that braces can break if you’re not careful. The brackets can break if you apply too much pressure to them, which may mean an emergency trip to the orthodontist. So when you brush your teeth, try not to brush too hard. Use a soft circular motion instead.

What if you have Invisalign instead of braces? If this is the case, then you can simply take your Invisalign retainers out of your mouth and brush your teeth normally. Keep in mind however that you should also clean your retainers regularly by brushing them with toothpaste and a toothbrush.

Flossing

Flossing can be very difficult with braces because the wires get in the way. But don’t worry – there’s a device called a floss threader that comes in handy. To use a floss threader, pull about ten centimetres of floss through the loop of the threader and then pull the threader in between your teeth. Take the floss out of the threader and then floss your teeth normally. Repeat the process for your other teeth.

Rinsing

It’s a good idea to rinse your mouth often when you have braces. This is because rinsing is a quick and easy way to remove food particles.

To do a rinse, take a mouthful of water and swish it around inside your mouth for a few seconds. Then spit the water out into the sink.

One of the best times to rinse your mouth is before you brush your teeth. This is because a rinse can get rid of a lot of the food particles in your mouth, after which your toothbrush can remove the remaining bits of food.

Conclusion

Cleaning your teeth when you have braces doesn’t have to be difficult. The main thing is to clean your teeth a little more thoroughly than usual to ensure you dislodge any bits of food stuck in your braces.

If you’d like to talk to us about braces or any other dental issue, make an appointment with one of our dentists by speaking to our friendly reception team.

How to put dental wax onto your braces

A common issue with braces is that they can rub against the inside of your mouth or lips, especially in the first few weeks. This can cause sore spots to develop inside your mouth.

The best way to treat this problem is with dental wax. A little bit of wax on your braces can act as a barrier between your braces and your mouth. This will protect your mouth from abrasion.

In this post, we’ll go over everything you need to know about putting dental wax on your braces.

How to put the dental wax onto your braces

To apply dental wax to your braces, follow these five simple steps:

1. The first step is to wash your hands with soap and water. This will prevent bringing bacteria into your mouth.
2. The second step is to clean the area of your braces where you plan to apply the wax. Usually, this is the wires at the back of your mouth or the brackets on your front teeth. So, using a toothbrush, remove any food debris from that area.
3. Next, dry your braces with a tissue. By drying your braces before you apply the wax, it will help the wax to stick.
4. Next, take a pea-sized amount of wax and roll it around with your fingers to warm it up. By warming it, you soften the wax and make it easier to apply. Don’t be tempted to use too much wax though, because big pieces are liable to fall off your braces.
5. Finally, push the ball of wax over the part of your braces that is irritating you. Rub the wax a few times to make it stick. When you remove your finger, the wax should stay stuck to your braces.

Make sure to re-apply the wax every day, or even sooner if it starts to fall off. Also, don’t use the same piece of wax for more than two days because bacteria can build up on it.

Can I leave dental wax on overnight?

The answer is yes, you can leave the wax on overnight. In fact, it’s a good idea to leave wax on while you sleep. This is because abrasion injuries often happen while you’re asleep. And don’t worry about accidentally swallowing wax during your sleep, since swallowed wax won’t cause you any harm.

Can I eat with wax on my braces?

It’s best to take the wax off before you eat. This is because food particles can easily get stuck to the wax, at which point bacteria can build up on it.

Can I brush my teeth with wax on my braces?

You should take the wax off before you brush your teeth because otherwise the wax will get stuck in the bristles of your toothbrush.

Where can I buy dental wax?

Most pharmacies sell dental wax. Also, your orthodontist will be able to supply you with some. In fact, many orthodontists give away dental wax for free after they put your braces on.

How does stress affect your oral health?

Do you suffer from stress? Whether it’s office politics, toddler tantrums, or a late bill notice in the post, there are lots of things that can cause stress.

Unfortunately, stress can have a damaging effect on your health. And that’s not just your physical and mental health, but your dental health too.

In this month’s post, we’ll discuss some of the effects that stress can have on your mouth and teeth. So if you suffer from stress, then don’t worry – we’ll show you some ways to mitigate its effects on your oral health.

Teeth grinding

Teeth grinding is a classic sign of stress. People who are under a lot of stress often show it by grinding their teeth at night, although some people also going to teeth during the day too.

Over time, when you grind your teeth a lot, it can wear down your enamel and lead to problems such as teeth sensitivity. Eventually, you might even need to get extensive work done to fix the damage.

It goes without saying then that teeth grinding is something to avoid. But what can you do about it? Well, the main solution is to wear a mouthguard at night. In fact, a mouthguard is a very effective way of preventing any damage to your enamel. If you feel like you could benefit from a mouth guard, then simply speak to your dentist.

Mouth sores

Did you know that you’re more likely to get mouth sores when you’re stressed? Mouth sores are small spots in your mouth that have a white centre and a red ring around them. Fortunately, they’re nothing to worry about and they often go away on their own.

Failing to take care of your teeth properly

Prolonged stress can make you feel angry, depressed and upset. When people feel like this, they no longer care as much about taking care of themselves, and this can include taking care of their teeth.

However, it’s important to brush your teeth twice a day to keep your teeth clean and healthy. Failing to do this can lead to problems such as cavities and gum disease.

So if you’re feeling stressed, do remember the importance of sticking to an oral hygiene routine. If you don’t, then it could lead to dental problems later on.

Eating unhealthy foods

Another common thing people do when they’re stressed is to turn to junk food as a source of comfort. Unfortunately, however, a lot of junk food is high in sugar and of course, sugar is bad for your teeth. So be careful as a diet high in sugary foods can easily cause cavities. Make sure to stick to foods low in sugar instead.

Conclusion

Stress can have lots of detrimental effects on your oral health. Fortunately, there’s a solution for most of them. By giving yourself a bit of TLC, you can help to eliminate most of the effects of stress on your teeth.

If you’d like to talk to a dentist about any of the topics we’ve covered today, then please don’t hesitate to make an appointment by calling one of our friendly receptionists.