Every year around this time, parents ask us whether they should hide the trick-or-treat haul. The good news is that you do not need to ban sweets to protect your child's teeth. How and when they are eaten makes a much bigger difference than the total amount.
Why timing matters
Each time we eat sugar, the bacteria in plaque turn it into acid, and that acid attacks the enamel for up to an hour afterwards. Saliva then slowly repairs the damage. A child who eats ten sweets in one sitting gives their teeth one acid attack. A child who has one sweet every half hour all afternoon gives their teeth ten, with no time to recover in between.
So the single most useful rule is this: keep sweets to one sitting, ideally straight after a meal, when saliva flow is already high.
Which treats do the most damage
Sticky and chewy sweets, such as toffees, caramels and fruit chews, cling to the grooves of the back teeth for a long time. Hard sweets and lollipops are sucked slowly, so they bathe the teeth in sugar for minutes at a time. Sour sweets add acid on top of the sugar.
Plain chocolate is usually the lesser evil. It melts and clears from the mouth more quickly.
Simple things that help
Let your child choose a few favourites to eat after dinner, then put the rest away for another day.
Give a glass of water afterwards to help rinse the mouth.
Do not brush straight after sour sweets or fizzy drinks. Wait about an hour so softened enamel is not brushed away.
Brush last thing at night with a fluoride toothpaste, and spit rather than rinse, so the fluoride stays on the teeth.
Avoid sweets in bed or as a bedtime treat. Saliva flow drops at night, so the teeth are less protected.
When to bring them in
Children's check-ups at Sweetsmile are £35, and fluoride varnish, which strengthens the enamel, is £15. If your child has not had a check-up in the last six months, the half-term break is a good time to book. Call 020 8203 1599 or book online.