Halloween Continues at my House

Halloween is over, but the candy still lingers.  This year, as every year, my husband bought enough candy for 1000 trick-or-treaters.  And this year, as every year, we had a grand total of 0 trick-or-treaters.  Thats right…none, not one!  My husband knows this, but he likes to buy the candy anyway, I guess just for himself.  But now we have an 18 month old in the house who discovered candy for the first time on October 31st.  He was instantaneously hooked!  I’ve never seen anything like it.  Fron the first like of the sucker, I couldn’t pry it out of his tiny, balled up little fist.  He loves chocolate too, but not enough to eat it quickly.  Most of it melts in his hot little hand which then ends up on every piece of furniture and clothing in the house.  After his first few pieces, he quickly learned where the candy was stashed.  Even the sight of the bowl made him howl and scream and point and demand.  We had to hide it.  But he likes it sooo much it has become the perfect bribe.  My husband uses this bribe too often in my opinion.  When I get home from work, Cruz’s tongue is blue.  I ask why and its because he’s had “a few” suckers.  I say he shouldn’t have candy every single day and according to an article I just read, I’M RIGHT!  Well that’s what I think.  You be the judge, here it is:

(HealthDay News) — Halloween and its avalanche of candy is coming, making it the worst time of year for children’s teeth, right?  Not necessarily, says a dentist who contends that parents can make a big difference by monitoring when their kids eat their sweets.  “Parents need to know that frequency is far more important than amount when it comes to taking in” sugars, said Dr. Mark Helpin, acting chairman of Temple University’s Department of Pediatric Dentistry. “It’s not how much we eat but how often we eat these kinds of things that will place us at increased risk of dental decay and cavities.“

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, Helpin said.  Cavities are most likely to develop when your mouth is exposed to the acid created by bacteria during eating, Helpin said. “When we eat [at meals], the flow of saliva increases. We’re also taking in other liquids that will help wash the mouth out,“ he said.  But if you snack during the day, the teeth are continuously bathed in acid, he said. “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,“ he added.

So what should you do? The worst time to give kids sweets is right before bedtime, Helpin said. As for mealtimes—like lunchtime at school—it’s wise for children to swish a liquid in their mouths to wash away acid, he said.  When it comes to Halloween, Helpin recommends that parents not get overly concerned about candy and their kids. “I don’t think Halloween week is going to be the make-or-break factor in whether someone will get a number of new cavities,“ he said.  Helpin recommends that parents 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. This will help cut down on acidity in the mouth, he said.