The candy you can buy any time of year in nearly any supermarket seems far more appealing at Halloween. People tend to overdo it as soon as those Halloween-packaged goodies hit the shelves. It’s not just candy that can damage your cosmetic dentistry though – find out what else could ruin your smile at Halloween time, and how to protect your teeth from disaster with these dos and don’ts.
1. Do Eat a Bunch of Candy at Once
Do your teeth a favor and eat your favorite candies in one sitting. You’ll fill your need for sweets and be nicer to your teeth. Snacking on candies all day is a technique to keep your waistline in check, but it bathes teeth in sugar, putting you at higher risk for tooth decay – and that includes the natural teeth behind cosmetic dentistry. Eating your candy all at once and brushing and flossing after is a safer method that’s kinder to your perfect smile.
2. Don’t Eat Chewy Candy
If gummy worms, taffy, or anything chewy and sticky is your weakness, you’re risking Halloween disaster. From caramel to clingy gum, anything chewy could adhere to your cosmetic dentistry. That means you’re more likely to have a tooth-colored filling pulled out or a dental crown ripped off. If you can’t resist, eat with caution.
3. Do Avoid Hard Candy
Halloween hard candy includes the likes of candy apples, lollipops, and jawbreakers. These treats might feel like the best kind of sweet because they last long and help prevent overindulging, but bite into these delights and you could have a broken veneer, crown, bonding, or filling immediately. Plus, teeth are exposed to sugar for too long – and that’s not good for cosmetic dentistry either.
4. Don’t Go Overboard on the Costume
What do costumes have to do with your teeth? Plenty. If you have a costume that covers your face, includes a mask, or flows around your feet, you could trip, fall, and find yourself suffering from the following:
- Chipped veneer: Those veneers customized for your smile are super strong, but they can’t withstand the power of your mouth hitting the ground.
- Knocked out crown: Crowns are firmly capped onto a treated tooth, but if they get hit the wrong way, they can come loose and leave you with a missing restoration.
- Cracked tooth: The most miniscule break, even in cosmetic dentistry, allows food and bacteria into your tooth to cause problems long after Halloween.
- Dislodged tooth: A blow to the mouth can lead to dislodged cosmetic dentistry or a knocked-out tooth – and then you need emergency dental care.
5. Do Be Cautious About What Goes on Your Teeth
You got cosmetic dentistry for a reason – to make your teeth look good. If you want to show off your smile, choose a costume that works to your advantage, like a cosmetic dentist or a celebrity. If you use plastic vampire teeth or adhere fake fangs to your canines, you could chip, crack, or otherwise damage your dental work.
Care for Cosmetic Dentistry on Halloween
Take care of your cosmetic dentistry all year, especially during Halloween, and your smile makeover will always remain intact. If you have a dental emergency in October, contact Natural Smiles and find out when you can be seen by Dr. Kiran Gill and her dental team.