Halloween- definitely a treat for kids but what about their teeth ?

Does Halloween with its avalanche of candy make it the worst time of the year for children’s teeth ? Not necessarily. The truth about consuming sugars is that frequency is far more important than the amount.

Candy remains a huge part of Halloween for tens of millions of American kids and their candy-buying — or candy-pilfering — parents. The National Confectioners Association says 93 percent of children in the United States go trick-or-treating, and the group estimates that Halloween candy sales this year will top $2.26 billion.
But children — and adults — are less at risk of developing tooth decay if they eat sweets — or even carbohydrate-heavy foods like potato chips and crackers — at mealtimes. This is because when we eat [at meals], the flow of saliva increases and we’re also taking in other liquids that will help wash the mouth out. But if you snack during the day, the teeth are continuously bathed in acid. “If I have four pieces of candy, and I eat all four at one time, my mouth will have acid in it for 30 to 60 minutes. If I eat one each hour, my mouth can be exposed to acid for four hours.” To avoid this parents can have their kids brush their teeth after eating candy. If that’s not possible, have them rinse their mouth with water three or four times after eating to cut down on the acidity in the mouth.
When it comes to Halloween,parents don’t need to get overly concerned about candy and their kids. Halloween will not be the make-or-break factor in whether someone will get a number of new cavities.

Source: Forbes.com