By Col. Jeffrey Chaffin, Army dentist and chief of the TRICARE Management Activity (TMA) Dental Care Branch
Trick or Treat! It’s that time of year again, when kids look forward to Halloween sweets and parents worry about the damage sugar does to their kids’ teeth.
TRICARE officials would like to remind you that brushing and flossing after eating sugary treats is the best way to keep cavities away and maintain your child’s oral health, Halloween and year-round.
Ideally, we recommend limiting sugary snacks for oral health and overall health, but that may not be practical during Halloween. When possible, you should always try to encourage healthy snacks – raisins, cheese sticks, pretzels or nuts. When sweets seem to be the main dessert, the best advice is to make sure your children brush and floss properly after eating Halloween treats.
Col. Jeffrey Chaffin, Army dentist and chief of the TMA Dental Care Branch. Photo courtesy of TRICARE
Even though the oral health of children has improved significantly over the past few decades, tooth decay still affects children in the United States more than any other chronic infectious disease. Untreated, tooth decay causes pain and infections that may lead to problems with your child eating and speaking.
The good news is that tooth decay is preventable. Research shows, the combination of dental sealants and fluoride has the potential to nearly eliminate tooth decay in school-age children. Dental sealants are thin coatings that are applied to the grooves on the chewing surfaces of the back teeth to protect them from tooth decay. Most tooth decay in children and teens occurs on these surfaces. Sealants protect the chewing surfaces from tooth decay by keeping germs and food particles out of these grooves. Fluoride helps strengthen teeth, which in turn helps keep them free of cavities and decay. It is a natural substance contained in toothpaste, mouthwash, and in some cities, water.
We understand the importance of good oral health year-round and think Halloween is a good time for you to reevaluate best practices. It is important to introduce your kids to healthy snacks early on, before Halloween. Here are several tips to help you and your children maintain a healthy smile:
- Brush teeth twice a day
- Avoid excessive snacking on sweets and carbohydrate rich foods
- Rinse with water after meals
- Clean between teeth with floss and/or interdental brushes
- Get regular dental checkups
For more dental hygiene tips and coverage information, visit the TRICARE Dental Program (TDP) website at www.TRICAREdentalprogram.com. The website offers several tools, such as the children’s cavity risk assessment, which focus on preventing cavities and the importance of good oral health. The TDP newsletter, published three times a year, also offers great information. It is available for download on the public portal of TRICARE’s Smart Site at www.tricare.mil/tricaresmart.
