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In preparation for Halloween here are some safety tips to ensure everyone stays safe and ‘Cavity Free’.

Halloween is a time for kids and parents to have fun. Following some simple common sense rules can assure a safe and happy holiday! Have a great time!

Always check the treats that your kids bring home BEFORE allowing them to eat ANYTHING! NEVER allow your children to eat any commercially prepared treat where the wrapper has been removed or in any way tampered with!
Be careful with home prepared items such as home baked cookies, and cakes, home made candies, and fresh fruits. Unless you know whom these treats are coming from, it may be wiser to discard them. If you are preparing home made treats for the kids, as a courtesy to other parents, please label all treats with your Name, Address, Telephone Number, as well as ingredients (some kids have special food allergies! If this is not done, your hard work may end up in someone’s garbage.
Halloween Block Parties are a great way to enjoy the holiday in a safe, controlled environment! Who knows? Maybe some parents would enjoy themselves as well?
After you have checked your child’s treats, I recommend that you prepare a treat basket. ALL the acceptable treats should be placed here. Give your child the choice of a dessert one meal a day to eat these treats. Dinner is usually the easiest meal. At this dessert time allow your child to eat as much as he/she wants. That’s right….as much as he/she wants to! This gorging ritual may be repeated for 2-3 days. After this, anything left in the treat basket should be discarded (THROWN OUT OF THE HOUSE). Kids that nibble on hoarded Halloween treats for weeks after the holiday, are those who usually get more cavities. This is especially true if this snacking occurs between meals rather than at a dessert after the meal! Also, please remember parents, if you hide some goodies for yourself, you may be saving your kids from cavities but getting them yourself! So, big kids should follow this rule too!

Experts at the Ruth A. Lawrence Poison and Drug Information Center and Injury Free Coalition for Kids Rochester offer some good advice for keeping costumed, candy-hunting kids safe on Halloween.

Avoid scary houses. Accompany young children, and make sure that older kids travel in groups. Halloween routes should stick to familiar, local neighborhoods.
Fight chocolate with chocolate. Make sure kids are fed before they hit the sidewalks trick-or-treating. Enjoying a small amount of candy at home prior to hitting the sidewalks can help curb the urge to try new treats before parents have a chance to check them.
Check candy. Discard treats in faded, torn and partially opened wrappers. Toss anything with signs of re-wrapping. Be especially choosy about small, hard candies which can present choking hazards for small children.
Be careful with cauldrons. Achieving a smoky, cauldron like punch-bowl with dry ice is a neat party idea, but be sure to not use it in individual glasses; frostbite can occur if it comes in contact with skin.
Remind kids that it’s not a race. Insist that kids take time to cross at corners, look both ways beforehand to check for cars and trucks. There’s plenty of time to be safe, even when candy’s at stake.
Choose a smart costume. Dress children in light-colored or reflective clothing so they have a visible glow; you might want to add special reflective tape to candy bags, too. Also, some costumes can be especially flammable – so be careful, when shopping, to choose one that is flame resistant.
Carry a flashlight. Fresh batteries to light the way will help avoid trips and further increase your child’s ability to be seen by cars, etc.
Paint your child’s face. It’s safer than having him or her wear a mask, which can slip around and limit visibility. Be sure to choose non-toxic makeup.
Make your home trick-or-treater friendly. Sweep wet leaves from sidewalks and steps, turn the porch light on and remove garden hoses and lawn ornaments that might cause slips and trips.
Enjoy safer candlelit pumpkins. Choose votive candles and set them on a sturdy table, away from curtains and other flammable objects. Never leave them unattended.

Halloween 2019 was amazing! Please enjoy our Halloween 2019 Facebook album!

IS EXERCISE BAD FOR YOUR TEETH?

New research suggests that athletes are more prone to cavities!

The School of Dental Medicine at the University Hospital Heidelberg in Germany studied the teeth of 35 triathletes who trained at least 10 hours each week. The researchers found that the harder the triathletes trained, the more acidic their saliva became. This is a concern as higher saliva acidity can cause more tooth erosion and possibly cavities.