Now that Halloween has passed and your child’s Halloween treats are tempting your child every minute of every day, it’s time to create a candy plan! Candy plans are beneficial tactics that help you protect your child’s smile from the cavities the Halloween treats provide. To help your child enjoy their treats as well as prevent tooth decay, we encourage you to do one or more of the following:
Divvy the candy up
If you hide your child’s candy and only give them small amounts at a time, your child will be less likely to develop tooth decay. This tactic will even out the sugar consumption throughout time and it will give your child’s smile a better chance at surviving.
Make a game out of it
You can use the child’s candy as a reward for winning a family game. This will give your child the chance to win the candy back all while having a little fun! You can also use the candy as a reward for completing chores around the house. The more chores that are finished, the more candy they can have!
Let your child play tricks on you
Halloween nowadays is more about the “treat” rather than the “trick,” but why not play the “trick” part now? Have your child get creative and play little tricks on you to get their candy back. The more you are surprised or the more creative they are, the more candy your child will receive.
Barter
Talk to your child about trading their candy in for a not-so-sweet reward, like a new toy or new activity they have been interested in. You can make each toy or activity worth a certain amount of candy and they can trade that candy if they choose. That way they are entertained for days to come.
Trade candy for money
Everyone likes filling their piggy banks with coins and bills, so why not take advantage of that this season? Make a deal with your child for their Halloween candy. If they give you a certain amount of candy, you will put a certain amount of money in their piggy bank.
Call our office today if you have any questions or if you would like more tips and tricks on how to help protect your child’s smile this holiday season. We are here to help you in any way we can, and we are thrilled to give you the information you need to help your child maintain a strong and healthy smile!