Halloween is now one of the biggest celebrations of the year and, while the night may be fun and enjoyable for all, Illume is warning its clients and the wider community that it could turn out to be a particularly ghastly time for teeth.

For children, Halloween is typically a time for dressing up and knocking on doors asking neighbours to fill their buckets with chocolate, sweets and snacks. But parents may also be tempted to dip into their children's sweets after sending them to bed.

Illume practice owner and clinical director, Tim Rumney, says: “Halloween is now the third largest shopping season after Christmas and Easter and aisles are currently stocked wall to wall with costumes and pumpkins but the real horror lies in the treats.

“Of course, we want children to enjoy Halloween but there is a real need to moderate their consumption of sweet treats as it is how often sugar is consumed, rather than how much, that heightens the risk of tooth decay. 

“Every time we eat something sugary, teeth are under attack for up to one hour. Saliva plays a major role in neutralising acid in the mouth but, if sweets are being eaten all the time, then the mouth doesn’t get the chance to recover, so please restrict the treats allowed. A good option may be to only allow these sweets to be eaten at mealtimes.

“It is also vital that both children and adults eating sweets brush their teeth before they go to bed,” he added.

Some options for making your treats kinder to teeth:

• Sugar-free sweets or lollipops

• Savoury treats such as cheese, nuts and breadsticks

• Pretzels or popcorn

• Frozen fruit bars

• If you have to have chocolate, then dark chocolate is best as it has less sugar than white or milk but avoid any with a chewy filling such as caramel.

If you need advice on how to keep your teeth in tiptop condition, then please contact us to make an appointment on 01242 522230.