UK - Dentists issue 'Halloween horror' warnin
Give trick-or-treaters stickers or balloons instead of sweets, dentists warn.
Trick-or-treating will become a "Halloween horror" for children unless parents take steps to protect their teeth, dentists warn.
Professor Nigel Hunt from The Royal College of Surgeons notes that celebrating Halloween (31Oct16) has become very popular in the U.K. in recent years, with many children delighting in donning fancy dress and visiting the neighbours to collect as many sweet treats as they can carry.
But while he doesn't want to "spoil the fun", he also wants to ensure rotten smiles are just for Halloween.
"Unfortunately, those sweet treats can be a Halloween horror for kids' teeth. Sugar is one of the biggest culprits for nasty tooth decay," he said in a statement.
"We do however want to help parents make sensible decisions about letting their children eat sweets at Halloween and all year round."
Professor Hunt's top tips for protecting children's teeth at Halloween include:
- If children are given sweets on Halloween they shouldn't eat them straight away, but save them to have with a meal at home to reduce the impact on their teeth.
- If trick-or-treaters visit you over Halloween, consider giving out alternative treats to sweets such as stickers or balloons.
- Limit the number of sweets you give out to each child, particularly if these are sticky and very high in sugar; think about only giving out one or two rather than a whole bag!
- If the child is thirsty make sure they do not have sugary drinks, water is better.
- Even though they may be tired, make sure children brush their teeth with fluoride toothpaste before going to bed.
Tooth decay remains the most common cause of hospital admissions for children aged 5-9 years old in England. More than 26,000 children in this age group were admitted to hospital due to tooth decay in 2014-2015. More than 179,000 teeth were also extracted from 0-9 year olds in dental practices in 2014-2015.
Professor Hunt added the state of children's teeth was a "national scandal".
"Tooth decay is 90 per cent preventable through reducing sugar consumption, regular brushing, frequent exposure to fluoride and routine visits to the dentist," he said.
"Applied all year long, some of our Halloween tips for protecting teeth, can make a huge difference to children's oral health.
Trick-or-treating will become a "Halloween horror" for children unless parents take steps to protect their teeth, dentists warn.
Professor Nigel Hunt from The Royal College of Surgeons notes that celebrating Halloween (31Oct16) has become very popular in the U.K. in recent years, with many children delighting in donning fancy dress and visiting the neighbours to collect as many sweet treats as they can carry.But while he doesn't want to "spoil the fun", he also wants to ensure rotten smiles are just for Halloween.
"Unfortunately, those sweet treats can be a Halloween horror for kids' teeth. Sugar is one of the biggest culprits for nasty tooth decay," he said in a statement.
"We do however want to help parents make sensible decisions about letting their children eat sweets at Halloween and all year round."
Professor Hunt's top tips for protecting children's teeth at Halloween include:
- If children are given sweets on Halloween they shouldn't eat them straight away, but save them to have with a meal at home to reduce the impact on their teeth.
- If trick-or-treaters visit you over Halloween, consider giving out alternative treats to sweets such as stickers or balloons.
- Limit the number of sweets you give out to each child, particularly if these are sticky and very high in sugar; think about only giving out one or two rather than a whole bag!
- If the child is thirsty make sure they do not have sugary drinks, water is better.
- Even though they may be tired, make sure children brush their teeth with fluoride toothpaste before going to bed.
Tooth decay remains the most common cause of hospital admissions for children aged 5-9 years old in England. More than 26,000 children in this age group were admitted to hospital due to tooth decay in 2014-2015. More than 179,000 teeth were also extracted from 0-9 year olds in dental practices in 2014-2015.
Professor Hunt added the state of children's teeth was a "national scandal".
"Tooth decay is 90 per cent preventable through reducing sugar consumption, regular brushing, frequent exposure to fluoride and routine visits to the dentist," he said.
"Applied all year long, some of our Halloween tips for protecting teeth, can make a huge difference to children's oral health.
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