As we are coming up on Halloween it seems only appropriate that we discusses if it is okay to let your kids eat their Halloween candy?
Absolutely YES!!!
As long as the eating of the candy is done in the proper way. After we eat anything (bread, eggs, cheese, etc.) our mouth's will produce extra saliva. This saliva is secreted in an attempt to neutralize the acids that are being produced by the bacteria that live in our mouth's. These bacteria are feed off of the food that we consumed. Typically a person's salivary rate will return to normal in about 15 minutes and at that point the acids attacking your teeth are back to manageable levels. A good brushing and flossing will then get your teeth the rest of the way to being clean.
Therefore, the proper way to have your kids eat all of that candy would be to let them eat their candy for about 10 minutes or so after dinner. Once they have had their little treat send them to brush and floss for the night. Doing this will allow them to eat their candy. Allow you to look like a cool parent. And present only a very slim chance, if any, of your child getting any cavities from their Halloween haul.
The thing NOT to do would be to let them keep the bag in their room and have a piece here or there all day long. This will keep the sugar on their teeth all day and the salivary glands will never get a chance to catch up. And since they will not brush after every piece of candy they will eat the acids produced by the bacteria will have much more time to do damage to the teeth before being brushed away.
So go ahead. Let the kids have their candy. Just make sure its in short spurts and that a good brushing and flossing follows.
No comments:
Post a Comment