Howell Family Dentist Suggests How to Avoid a Cavity Nightmare on Halloween!

Do your kids go trick-or-treating?

Do you set a limit on how much candy your kids are allowed to eat after trick-or-treating?

Does your child get a lot of cavities?

If you’re wondering how to avoid a cavity nightmare on Halloween, you’re not alone! Many parents are concerned about their child's candy eating habits getting out of hand at Halloween. Just because it's one night a year doesn't mean that your child isn't exposed to cavity risks.

To keep cavities away and protect your child’s smile this Halloween, the Canadian Dental Association (CDA) recommends taking these simple steps:

1. Limit the number of times a day your child eats sugary treats or snacks between meals. Serve snacks that will not harm your child’s teeth, such as vegetables, cheese, nuts or seeds.
2. It is best to eat sugary treats at the end of mealtime while there is still plenty of saliva in the mouth. Saliva helps to wash away the sugars and acids.
3. Drinking a glass of water after eating a sugary treat will also help wash away some of the sugars and acids.
4. Avoid soft, sticky treats that get stuck between teeth.
5. Always have your child brush and floss before going to bed.

If you remain strict about following the previous steps with your child then eliminating the risk of developing tooth decay is easy. Halloween is a fun holiday for all! You don’t want a cavity to put a damper on your holiday season by allowing the fear of cavities to overwhelm you.  

Our ultimate goal is to help you improve your dental health through care and education. We’re also dedicated to maintaining a higher level of service for our patients so we can remain the best Howell family dentist. We will answer your questions and discuss your concerns and together develop an individualized plan for optimal dental health.  Call us to schedule an appointment for you and your family!

You Could be Flossing Wrong! Dr. DiStefano, Howell Family Dentist Shares the Right Way to Floss!

Flossing: Is it your New Year’s Resolution? It should be!

Do you floss daily? 

Flossing can eliminate most of the bacteria in your mouth that causes periodontal disease, tooth loss, tooth decay, and inflamed gums. The more you floss, the healthier you’ll be!

To help improve and protect the oral health of you and your family, Dr. Gary R. DiStefano, DDS and Associates suggests the following way to easily floss your way to better health. 

1. Begin with 15 to 18 inches of floss.
2. Wrap about half of the floss around the middle finger of one hand, and the rest around your other middle  finger leaving about 2 inches to work with.
3. Hold the floss firmly between your thumbs and index fingers, and use a moderate backward and forward motion to guide it between each tooth.
4. Gently bend the floss around the base of each tooth to eliminate plaque build-up.
5. Scrape the floss firmly against a tooth, and move the floss gently up and down and in between gums.
6. Repeat the entire process with the rest of your teeth.
7. Use portions of clean floss for each tooth to avoid moving plaque to a different area of your mouth.  

Flossing every day isn’t the only way to prevent dental or health problems! If you check up with your dentist every six months, tooth decay and other problems will fail to exist. Call Doctor DiStefano, your favorite Howell family dentist to schedule your 6 month appointment today! 517-546-8983