[ HALLOWEEN ]
Isle dentists say
bacteria act as
mouth monsters
Eating a little bit of candy over a long period is worse for teeth than one candy binge on Halloween night, say island dentists.
Yet they advise protecting trick-or-treaters' teeth by limiting the amount and type of candy they are allowed to eat. Even better, they suggest giving kids non-sugar treats.
Dr. Russell Masunaga, with the Hawaii Dental Association, encourages sugarless Halloween treats both for oral health and safety.
"There are so many concerns about Halloween candy now," Masunaga said. "There is nothing wrong with stickers or pencils instead of traditional treats."
However, he said, "You get all this candy on one night and it's really not as bad as if you keep eating this candy morning, noon and night."
Chocolates are safest because they actually have a protein that inhibits bacterial growth on teeth, he said.
Dental disease occurs when there is too much bacteria in the mouth, too much sugar in the diet and teeth aren't kept clean, Masunaga said.
"It's not just candy, it's carbohydrates as well," he said, explaining "long-lasting sticky carbohydrates," such as pretzels and potato chips, cause more cavities if teeth aren't cleaned.
Dr. Edmund Cassella, Hawaii Dental Association president, said sticky or gummy candy that adheres to the teeth or is in the mouth a long time is more harmful.
"In actuality, the best thing for a parent to do if a child wants candy is to make them brush their teeth before they eat it."
Sugar in the candy feeds the bacteria and lowering the bacterial count before eating candy does less damage, Cassella said. "That's true of most everything. Biologically, people should brush their teeth before they eat, not after they eat," he said.
Masunaga, who grew up in Foster Village, said he remembers getting pennies from neighbors and less candy than his kids, ages 10 and 13, get today.
But trends are changing, with more people hosting Halloween parties than cruising the neighborhood with trick-or-treaters, he noted. Bobbing for apples is a good alternative to candy, he said.
Parties also are safer, agreed Cassella, "because you don't have to worry about kids getting bad candy, having problems crossing the street or tripping over sidewalks with costumes and falling and breaking their front teeth."
A lot of Halloween candy can be frozen and doled out over a year as part of a reward system, Cassella suggested.
Another idea is to donate part of the candy, he said, noting his wife teaches at Punahou and has kids take in half of their treats to give to the Institute of Human Services.
Other suggestions for good dental care this Halloween:>> Serve a healthy supper to leave less room for sugary candy.
>> Give sugar-free treats or travel-size toothpaste and dental floss.
>> Avoid giving hard candies or jawbreakers to young children because they can chip teeth or cause choking.
>> Encourage kids to drink water throughout the day to help rinse sugar from teeth and make sure they brush before bedtime.
>> Wait until after meals to give kids leftover Halloween candy because it's better to eat sugary treats after a balanced meal than alone.
>> Have children participate in service projects instead of collecting candy.
