Halloween, All Hallows Eve, Hallowtide…no matter what you call it, this holiday boils down to one thing…treats and lots of them! Can you remember what some of your favorite goodies were to end up in your Halloween bag? Was it chocolate? Gummies? Sour candies? Possibly even a toothbrush?? We thought it might be fun to ask some of our Dental friends some of their favorite ways to celebrate Halloween!
Dr. Uzma S Ansari DMD, FAGD at Lowes Island dentistry, General and Cosmetic Dentistry
Favorite Candy: Twix and Butterfingers
Do you do anything special to celebrate Halloween?
Yes! Office decor, give away treats, Candy Buy Back after Halloween.
Has your specialty impacted how you celebrate Halloween?
Nope! I just love celebrating any and all fun things!
Go visit Dr. Ansari in Potomac Falls after you collect all your Halloween Candy to participate in their Candy Buy Back this year!
Dr. Christine M. Kim at Reston Orthodontics, Orthodontics
Favorite Candy: Starbursts!
Do you do anything special to celebrate Halloween?
We have Halloween decorations all over our office and have an annual Halloween contest!
Has your speciality impacted how you celebrate Halloween?
Yes. I say no to candy for my patients! Orthodontic appliances can’t last as long when there is constant pulling from sticky or chewy candies. Starbursts may be my favorite, but I have to save them as a special treat!
Check out Dr. Kim’s latest Halloween contest via their Facebook page! Can you guess the weight of the pumpkin? If you guess right, you could win an Amazon Gift Card!
Dr. Amy Ton at Sunrise Dental, General Dentistry
Favorite Candy: Gummy Bears
Do you do anything special to celebrate Halloween?
My team and I love to decorate our office with silly and spooky decorations. We all make sure to come to work on Halloween dressed up as our favorite characters!
Has your specialty impacted how you celebrate Halloween?
As a Dentist, I understand the effects of sugar on my oral hygiene, but I still like to have fun! I will treat myself to a few gummy bears, but I don’t let my sweet tooth take over on Halloween.
Check out Dr. Ton and her team’s costumes from last October. I wonder what costume ideas they’ll have this year!
Dr. Apt at Specialists in Orthodontics, Orthodontist
Favorite Candy: Twix (I always raid the candy bags we reward for patients who have completed their orthodontic treatment!)
Do you do anything special to celebrate Halloween?
I like to relax and stay inside to enjoy a nice fire.
How has your speciality impacted how you celebrate Halloween?
Patients can enjoy candy before and after treatment (in moderation of course). We depend on our Pediatric Dentists, such as Dr. Jaju and Dr. Dang to help our patients and parents understand how to maintain healthy oral habits, especially during this time of year.
Check out Dr. Apt’s contest winner for guessing the number of candies in the jar! This lucky kiddo won the whole jar, which he will be sure to share with family and friends. 🙂
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As you can see, dental health professionals love to have fun during Halloween. The key to having fun and being healthy is all about being balanced. In the world of dentistry, we never say ‘never’, but instead we advise that you try these 5 tips from Dr. Jaju:
- Limit the number of sticky candies such as starbursts, skittle, laffy-taffy. Pick chocolate based treats instead.Chocolates are a great alternative to sticky or chewy treats because they melt away from the teeth much easier.
- Collected candies can be saved as a special treat instead!
- Some families choose to save their favorite candies and give away the rest.
- Recently, the “Switch Witch” has also become more popular as she comes the night after to collect Halloween candies and switches your kiddo’s candy stash for a fun toy or book instead! Similar to the ‘Tooth Fairy’ she is looking out for our kiddo’s dental and oral health.
- As always, brush well for 2 minutes and floss your teeth to help scrub away any leftover sugar inside the mouth.
Remember to have fun this Halloween and to enjoy your candy, just don’t forget to brush!