Trick or Treat..... Sugar, Sweets and Scary Teeth... a Halloween Blog!

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Wow, is it that time of year again already??...... The year seems to be flying along. It only feels like five minutes ago we were wishing everyone Happy New Year. In typical fashion, January seems to drag along but then we blink and its heading to Christmas already. However before we get to Christmas (again), there are some important highlights; the first Halloween, the second Bonfire Night and then Dentist Dave's Birthday!!

But now, the pumpkins are out, the costumes are ready, and somehow every house seems to have a never-ending supply of sweets and treats. We love the fun and the mischief of Halloween here at 183dental, but we also know it’s the season when teeth get their biggest fright and for week or so after we will be reparing bashed teeth from sneaky chocolate eclairs and damage from jelly sweets!

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We’re not here to spoil anyone’s fun (we’re partial to a bit of chocolate ourselves, although its Vegan Chocolate for Dentist Emma). But a few small habits can help you and your little ones enjoy Halloween without inviting any unwanted “tooth monsters” to stick around.

Top Tip 1 – Time it right

If you’re going to enjoy some sweets, try to have them with a meal rather than nibbling throughout the day. Your mouth produces more saliva when you eat meals, which helps wash away sugar and protect your teeth. It is the FREQUENCY of sugar intake which is critical so reducing those sugar hits is better than multiple hits throughout the day.

Top Tip 2 – Choose your treats wisely

Sticky toffees and hard-boiled sweets are the villains of Halloween – they cling to teeth and hang around longer than we’d like! Chocolate melts and washes away more easily (and let’s be honest, we think it tastes better too). What's your favourite? Dark chocolate is less damaging for our teeth!

Top Tip 3 – Drink up

A quick sip of water after eating sweets helps rinse away sugar and keep things fresh — it’s simple but works wonders. But it's not advised to brush straight after eating sweet treats.

And now, a little tooth trivia ...

Dave and Emma recently visited Whitby with their girls and you may know Whitby is the location for much of the Dracula story where Bram Stoker visited. They even went on a Dracula tour..... where the tour guide threatened to bite Dave's neck!!

Did you know that Count Dracula — the world’s most famous fang enthusiast — was partly inspired by real 19th-century fears about diseases of the mouth? Before toothpaste and modern dentistry, people often believed bad breath or darkened teeth were signs of evil or decay within.

No wonder vampires got such a bad reputation for oral hygiene!

And here’s a fun fact: early versions of vampire novels often described Dracula’s teeth not as long fangs, but as pearly white and unnervingly perfect — proof that even then, a dazzling smile could be a bit… suspicious. 😁

When the costumes are packed away and the last sweet wrapper is finally found under the sofa, it’s the perfect time to check your next dental visit is in the diary. Regular visits help us keep your smile healthy — no spooky surprises.

From all of us, have a spooktacular Halloween, full of fun, laughter, and maybe just a little bit of chocolate.

Yours tooth-fully, Dave & Emma and all the team at 183dental

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