If there’s one time of the year that makes dentists cringe the most, it’s probably Halloween. Those bags full of candy kids keep under their beds and snack on continually puts their teeth in bad situations.

As the parent or guardian of a child, you need to learn tips and tricks for getting through Halloween without allowing your child to destroy their teeth on all those sugary sweets. Below are some ways you can persuade your child to part with some of the worst candy, such as chocolates, hard candies, and gummy candies.

INTRODUCE YOUR CHILD TO THE SWITCH WITCH

Many families make use of the Switch Witch to help keep their children’s teeth stay healthy while still allowing them to enjoy all the trick-or-treating festivities. After you help your child check their candy to ensure it’s all safe, you coax them into handing over a large portion of that candy. While they are sleeping, the Switch Witch will sneak into their room and leave a toy or another special gift under their bed to thank them for the candy.

This is a good way for you to make sure your child still enjoys Halloween, while giving them a fun reason for turning so much of their candy stash over to you. You can then do what you want with the candy, including eating it yourself, throwing it away, or even saving it to dole out to your child as a treat on special occasions.

HELP YOUR CHILD MAKE CARE PACKAGES

After Halloween, you can sit down with your child and help them put together small care packages that include a handful of candy, a breakfast bar, a small toy, a couple pieces of fruit, a toothbrush, a small tube of toothpaste and a bottle of water. You can take your child to a nearby food bank or homeless relief shelter and have them donate these personal bags to be given to the children who come in to use their services.

This is a great way for you to teach your child the joy of giving and get them excited about giving away their hard-earned Halloween candy. It’s also a good way to make sure children who have less also get to enjoy the season, thanks to your child’s generosity.

SET UP A TOY STORE IN YOUR HOME

You can go to your nearest discount store and purchase a bunch of inexpensive toys, games, and art supplies ahead of time. After trick-or-treating, your child can go to the store area you’ve created somewhere in the house and purchase the items on display for a predetermined number of candies. This will help them spend a lot of the candy, so they have less left to consume.

Any items they didn’t purchase can be used in the future in several ways. They can be wrapped up and given to their friends at birthday parties they are invited to through the year. They can also be put away where they will be forgotten about and pulled out when your child has a doctor or dental appointment. The new toys can serve as good distractions for their time in the waiting room.

SHOW YOUR CHILD BOTH SIDES OF TRICK-OR-TREATING 

You can take your child out trick-or-treating early in the evening, so you can get back in time to catch the older children and teens coming to your home. Quickly check the candy as soon as you return home.

When the older children come to your door, your child can have a great time seeing all the creative costumes and giving some of their candy out to the trick-or-treaters. This gives your child the ability to enjoy both sides of Halloween and it will help to get rid of some of their candy excess.
You should also get your child in for an exam and professional cleaning after Halloween. Town Center Family Dental will be more than happy to tend to your child’s dental needs.