Halloween can be a challenging time when it comes to maintaining a balanced diet for children. When preoccupied with the excitement of dressing up and trick-or-treating in the local area, the effect that these sugary sweets can have on their teeth may be overlooked by parents, and will certainly not be at the front of children’s minds. Many sweets children may come across while trick-or-treating are novelty, Halloween themed treats, often directly aimed at children,[i] so it’s no wonder they’re so easily taken in. However, it is widely accepted that excessive sugar is harmful for teeth, and a major cause of caries,[ii] so it’s important to monitor children’s sugar intake, and maintain good oral hygiene at all times.
Children’s sugar intake
Confectionary is the largest source of sugar consumption in the UK,ii and as it is commonly provided to children of all ages on Halloween, this is a time when parents may let dietary rules slip in the spirit of allowing them a treat. While this may seem harmless in the moment, excessive sugar consumption can be incredibly damaging. This is put into perspective when we consider how much sugar children should be limited to per day; with those aged 7 to 10 recommended no more than 24g, and 4 to 6-year-olds no more than 19g.[iii] It has been suggested that children may be consuming up to 384g of sugar on Halloween[iv] – 16 times the recommended daily limit.
Recent reports have suggested that 23.4% of 5-year-olds are showing visible signs of tooth decay.[v] Oral pH becomes more acidic once sugar is ingested and may take a long time to recover, especially if the sweets consumed are particularly sticky – leading to the demineralisation of the tooth’s surface.ii Children affected by dental problems have a higher chance of developing dental anxiety in adulthood.[vi] Dental treatment such as fillings and tooth extractions, particularly in childhood could have a lasting impact on a child’s view of dental treatment but, in many cases, the need for these procedures can be prevented with a balanced diet and good oral hygiene. This being said, tooth extractions are relatively common with 170 children and teenagers undergoing this procedure daily in the UK – and 60,000 school days lost per year due to dental problems.[vii]
Reducing the risk
The more sweets consumed, the higher the risk that caries will develop. So, the first line of defence for young patients should always be reducing the frequency of sugar intake. This being said, there are some recommendations you may want to make which specifically target the problem of Halloween treats. For example, suggesting that your young patients avoid very sticky and chewy sweets to reduce the risk of sugar sticking to teeth for a long period of time. And, rather than snacking on sweets throughout the day, spread them out over a number of days, or enjoy them after a meal to reduce the impact on their teeth. But, most importantly, ensure they are still maintaining their oral hygiene routines, even after an evening of Halloween excitement.v
Effective brushing is the key
Brushing twice per day with a high fluoride toothpaste will significantly reduce the likelihood of developing caries at any age.[viii] Making sure your young patients understand the importance of brushing, and more importantly how to brush correctly will greatly help them reduce the risk of developing caries, and needing further intervention. Ensure young patients understand the importance of cleaning all sides of their teeth (including interdentally if you feel it’s appropriate for their age), their gums, and the need to rotate their brush to remove plaque effectively.
When recommending products for young patients, consider the Junior toothbrush from TANDEX. This brush has been specifically designed to make brushing easy for children, its broad handle provides a good grip, and your younger patients will be able to brush their teeth and gums without adding too much pressure because of its optimised design.[ix]
Even though restricting children’s sweets allowance may be a challenge for some parents, particularly during the Halloween season, it is so important to get this message across. Getting sugar intake under control when patients are young will help to reduce the need for more serious procedures in the future – therefore helping to reduce their risk of problems, including dental anxiety, developing as they grow up. Not only this, but ensuring patients get a good understanding of how to properly brush their teeth will set them up for a great oral health routine, and a better understanding of how to take care of their teeth as they get older.
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[i] McGale, Lauren Sophie. Persuasive Techniques on Food Packaging: the Exposure Power and Influence on Children’s Food Behaviours. The University of Liverpool (United Kingdom), 2017. https://livrepository.liverpool.ac.uk/3008114/1/200932983_Jan2017.pdf
[ii] Foster, H., and J. Fitzgerald. “Dental disease in children with chronic illness.” Archives of disease in childhood 90.7 (2005): 703-708. https://adc.bmj.com/content/archdischild/90/7/703.full.pdf
[iii] NHS. Sugar: the facts. (Date accessed: 05.07.22) https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/eat-well/food-types/how-does-sugar-in-our-diet-affect-our-health/
[iv] Insider. Here’s how much sugar the average kid consumes on Halloween – and it’s way more than you’d think (Date accessed: 05.07.22) https://www.insider.com/how-much-sugar-the-average-kid-consumes-on-halloween-2017-10
[v] Royal College of Surgeons of England. Halloween shouldn’t be scary for your teeth. (Date accessed: 05.07.22) https://www.rcseng.ac.uk/news-and-events/media-centre/press-releases/halloween-shouldnt-scary-for-teeth/
[vi] Appukuttan, Deva Priya. “Strategies to manage patients with dental anxiety and dental phobia: literature review.” Clinical, cosmetic and investigational dentistry 8 (2016): 35. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4790493/
[vii] British Dental Association. Oral health: the postcode lottery of childhood decay. (Date accessed: 05.07.22) https://www.bda.org/news-centre/blog/Pages/Oral-health-the-postcode-lottery-of-childhood-decay.aspx
[viii] van Loveren, Cor. “Sugar restriction for caries prevention: amount and frequency. Which is more important?.” Caries research 53.2 (2019): 168-175. https://www.karger.com/Article/FullText/489571
[ix] TANDEX. TANDEX Classic 09 Junior Toothbrush (Date accessed: 05.07.22) https://tandex.dk/product?=5f291db9ed1f130017b2dad6
