Halloween is only about a week away! While the notion of children consuming so much candy can often be quite scary, there are some recommendations that can make Halloween less of a nightmare for their teeth.

The American Dental Association (ADA) has compiled a list of ten recommendations to help children maintain good oral health during Halloween and the rest of the holiday season.

Here are the ten recommendations from their website.

1. Consume Halloween candy and other sugary foods with meals.
   Saliva production increases during meals and helps neutralize acids produced by bacteria in your mouth and helps rinse away food particles.
2. Avoid hard candy and other sweets that stay in your mouth for a long time.
   Besides how often you snack, the length of time food is in your mouth plays a role in tooth decay. Unless it is a sugar-free product, candies that stay in the mouth for a long period of time subject teeth to prolonged acid attack, increasing the risk for tooth decay.
3. Avoid sticky candies that cling to your teeth.
   The stickier candies, like taffy and gummy bears, take longer to get washed away by saliva, increasing the risk for tooth decay. 
4. Drink more water.
   Consuming optimally fluoridated water can help prevent tooth decay. If you choose bottled water, check the label for the fluoride content.
5. Maintain a healthy diet and make sure the meals you eat are nutritious.
   Your body is like a complex machine. The foods you choose as fuel and how often you "fill up" affect your general health and that of your teeth and gums.
6. Avoid beverages with added sugar such as soda, sports drinks or flavored waters.
   When teeth come in frequent contact with beverages that contain sugar, the risk of tooth decay is increased.
7. Chew gum that has the ADA Seal.
   Chewing sugarless gum for 20 minutes after meals has been shown to reduce tooth decay, because increased saliva flow helps wash out food and neutralize the acid produced by dental plaque bacteria.
8. Brush your teeth twice a day with an ADA-accepted fluoride toothpaste.
   Replace your toothbrush every three or four months, or sooner if the bristles are frayed. A worn toothbrush won't do a good job of cleaning your teeth. 
9. Clean between teeth daily with floss or an interdental cleaner.
   Decay-causing bacteria still linger between teeth where toothbrush bristles can't reach. Flossing helps remove plaque and food particles from between the teeth and under the gum line. 
10. Visit an ADA-member dentist for more information on maintaining your oral health.

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We all know how bad smoking and tobacco are for your overall health. Consequentially, it can have many negative effects on your oral health. Smoking and using tobacco can have the obvious effect of bad breath, which can interfere with one's social life. But there are many other consequences of choosing to smoke or use tobacco.
Smoking can affect your mouth cosmetically by staining both your teeth and your tongue.
Plaque and tartar will build up your teeth more easily if you use tobacco.
Gum disease, a leading cause of tooth loss, can prevail in a tobacco user's mouth.
Tobacco use can alter everyday life by dulling sense of taste and smell.
Smoking and using tobacco can eventually cause oral cancer, which can ultimately lead to death.
The only way to reduce the risk of developing the problems above is by quitting smoking and tobacco use. Make sure to talk to your doctor or dentist so they can set you on the right path.

While regular brushing and flossing are a very important part of dental care, what you eat can also have a major effect on your dental health. The best foods for your teeth are ones that help to protect tooth enamel and keep your teeth clean.

Here is a list of foods that can help keep your mouth healthy and some of their benefits. We will start off with our favorite treat that we provide to our patients when they visit our office.

Apples (and other crunchy fruits) - full of water, help to keep down plaque and massage gums
Dairy products - contain calcium which helps to fortify teeth, low in acidity and sugar
Proteins (beef, chicken, eggs, etc.) - rich in phosphorus, which combines with calcium to produce teeth and bones
Vegetables - full of water, rich in enamel-building Vitamin A
Water - cleans your mouth and hydrates gums

To see other great food options for your teeth, visit http://www.dental.net/dental-nutrition/foods-good-for-teeth/

We found this game on nickmom that is a fun way to get your kids excited about coming to the dentist. With the Glenn Martin, DDS Dental Adventure game, they not only learn about different dental procedures, but kids also get the chance to play dentist themselves.

Click HERE to check out the game!

This youtube video from Colgate is very informative about the proper technique that patients should use to floss. As the video mentions, make sure to floss at least once a day. Flossing not only leads to a healthy mouth, but also a healthy heart!

The type of cleaning that is done on a patient's teeth always depends on the condition of their mouth. That condition is normally classified into three different categories.

1. Healthy Mouth - A healthy mouth is characterized by coral pink gums (or darker shades of brown, depening on ethnicity). The texture of healthy gums can be related to stippling, like that of an orange peel. The pockets, or spaces between the gum and the tooth, are 3 mm or less. In a healthy mouth, there is gum tissue covering the space between the teeth.

2. Gingivitis - A patient that has gingivitis will often notice that their gums are red, purple, swollen, and will bleed fairly easily. Gums will also look smooth and shiny, instead of like an orange peel. Gingivitis can occur only in one part of the mouth, or can affect the entire mouth. The causes of gingivitis are bacterial plaque and also irritations from hard deposits called calculus.

3. Periodontal Disease - Periodontal disease occurs when bacteria infects the mouth and the immune system attacks the bone in attempts to remove the bacteria and toxins. Periodontal disease is often something that is inherited. Like gingivitis, periodontal disease can be limited to certain parts of the mouth or can be found through the entire mouth. Signs of this disease are bad breath, loose teeth, teeth falling out, and pus exuding from gums. Because it is genetic, periodontal disease is not curable, but is treatable by keeping the disease under control with routine follow-up treatments.

Based on the previously discussed potential mouth conditions, the dentist will decide what type of cleaning is necessary for the patient's mouth.
Prophylaxis - This type of cleaning is preventative. It is done on patients with healthy mouths, that may have a small area of gingivitis, but no periodontal disease or heavy bleeding during cleaning.
Gross Debridement - Done to remove plaque and calculus from the mouth of a patient with gingivits or periodontal disease, it helps to facilitate better access to teeth for diagnosis and probing. It also allows gum swelling to settle down before treatment.
Scale and Polish - Scaling and polishing is normally done after a gross debridement and is done on patients that have moderate to severe gingivitis or early periodontal disease. This procedure is done to make sure patients are on the road to good oral health.
Root Planing - Often referred to as a "deep cleaning", a root planing is generally proceded by a gross debridement. It is used to treat mild to moderate generalized or advanced localized periodontal disease.
Periodontal Cleaning - This is the normal treatment givent ot patients with periodontal disease, done on a three month (or more often) basis to ensure that the patient does not have further bone loss.

Adapted from an article by Edilia Glenski, DMD, FAGD, from angieslist.com