This may come as a surprise to you, but your State College dentist doesn’t completely cringe every time a patient goes trick-or-treating. It’s been a long time tradition for years and years. The only thing dentists hope for is that patients don’t “over-do it” with their candy consumption.
If your child did a great job collecting candy this year, you probably have an overflowing bucket of candies tempting you and your family at all times. To make the best decision for you and your oral health, here are a few ways that you can get rid of the excess candy without putting your teeth at risk.
Get Rid of Halloween Candy Without Being a Party-Pooper
Your child may never look at you the same if they catch you dumping their pumpkin bucket in the trash. Here are a few fun ways to sneak that Halloween candy out of the house before it rots your family’s teeth.
Create a DIY Trail Mix
The best trail mix usually includes a sweet alternative mixed with the variety of nuts and dried fruits. If you have extra bags of little candies like M&Ms or even Reese’s Pieces, consider mixing them with a bag of cashews, almonds, sunflower seeds, and dried cranberries or raisins. Although you’ll still be taking in sweets, your teeth can be cleaned naturally with crunchy nuts full of nutrients that your body needs. The candy will just be a delightful sweet touch to your otherwise healthy snack.
Create a Fun Candy Calendar
This may sound confusing, but it’s a great way to get rid of leftover candy in moderation. Grab yourself some small paper cups and glue the bottoms to a poster board. You’ll need 30 of them for the month of November. Insert candy in them and seal the open end with a thin piece of tissue paper with the date on it. Each day, your child will have fun punching through the tissue paper and grabbing their sweet treats for the day. Dispose of the rest of your candy.
Donate Your Candy
Children love to help the next person. It’s easy to find a program to donate your candy to when you look online. Take this opportunity to explain how giving back is great for the community and how they would be helping other children enjoy Halloween candy that didn’t have the opportunity to trick-or-treat.
Use the Candy for Holiday Décor
One of the best things about the holidays are all the fun activities, especially for kids. One of the many cool things that kids love to do is build a gingerbread house. Have fun with your little one by creating a homemade gingerbread house decorated with the excess candy you have from Halloween.
Either way, Halloween exposes you and your child’s teeth to higher amounts of sugar than normal. Be sure to visit your dental practice for a deep cleaning and dental exam.
About Our Office
Everyone needs great dental care, adults and children alike. As your general and family dentist in State College, Dr. Chris J. Devlin will work with you to create a personalized effective treatment plan to keep your smile as strong as possible. If you would like to speak to Dr. Devlin about anything concerning your oral health, feel free to reach out to our helpful office team.