Christmas Candy Cavities: How to Save Your Kid's Teeth this Christmas without Being a Scrooge
Christmas is a time for relaxing, for enjoying and for giving. Unfortunately, for parents it's also a time for Christmas cavities to appear in the mouths of their children. You don't need statistics to tell you that sacks and sacks of chocolates and other chewy treats are devoured by children and adults alike all over the world around Christmas.
But as a concerned parent, how do you control Christmas cavities without looking like a Christmas Scrooge?
Take the Worst Cavity Culprits off the Menu
You don't have to ban sugary treats throughout the holiday season. However, a good place to start, when controlling candy consumption around Christmas is in the preceding weeks.
First of all, you need to be aware of the best and worst sugary culprits. Try to limit:
- Sticky Treats: At Christmas, sticky, sugary treats abound. Sticky snacks are bad for teeth because they leave a sugary residue on teeth. The bacteria that flourish in all human mouths will think they are having their very own Christmas as they devour the sugar residue left behind.
- Sugary Drinks: Not only are these acidic in nature, they also contain massive amounts of sugar.
- Lollies: Lollies and even popsicles remain in the mouth for an extended duration. This means your children's mouths are saturated with sugar.
- Cream Cakes: Just like sticky treats, cream or chocolate cake debris clings to teeth.
- Jam Donuts: Jam donuts are one of the worst culprits because the jam in the donuts, already high in sugar, clings to teeth along with the sugar granules on the donut.
Remember, it's not that bacteria eat your children's teeth—they don't. The problem is that after they have feasted on the sugar, they leave behind an acidic byproduct that erodes tooth enamel.
With a little strategic purchasing, you can ensure your children's teeth are safer than they might have otherwise been.
Inform Friends and Relatives in Advance
In the preceding weeks to Christmas, contact your friends, relatives and the parents of your children's friends, and inform them of your plans to limit heavily sugary treats this Christmas. This way, you won't be sitting there feeling guilty as your child tears the wrapping off a bumper box of chocolate treats.
Choose Sweet Treats Carefully
Believe it or not, there is still a wealth of sweet treats that your children can enjoy at Christmas that don't come with a high risk of cavities.
This Christmas, opt for:
- Sugar-free Candy: Minus the sugar but still just as delightful as normal candy. Just don't tell your kids it is sugar free!
- Popcorn: Kids love popcorn. Use this love to discreetly replace sugary snacks with something much healthier.
- Milk: You can remind kids that Santa loves his glass of milk at Christmas, as you hand out milk instead of fizzy drink.
- Nuts: A variety of nuts might keep your kid's minds off more sugary things.
- Smoothies or Milkshakes: With milk, fruit and yoghurt, you can concoct some pretty delicious—and healthier—treats for your kids.
However, cutting out your children's favourite sugary snacks completely might prove almost impossible. So with this in mind, ensure that you:
- Hydrate your children with lots of water throughout the day. Saliva is your body's natural defence against cavities. It kills cavity causing bacteria and neutralises acid that could erode teeth.
- Set limits to how often your children snack on sugary things. After a sugary treat, your mouth needs up to two hours to remove sugary debris and neutralise acid, but it can't do that without saliva. Lots of water, and time slots throughout the day set aside for sweet things. An hour or two a day, with lots of hours in between to allow teeth to heal should suffice.
- Give them sugar-free gum after every sugary treat to promote saliva production.
By following these tips, you and your children can enjoy Christmas without worrying about cavities. Talk with a cosmetic dentist about solutions to ongoing oral health problems associated with cavities and decaying teeth.
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