November 1st is National Brush Day -- but some may also know it as the day after Halloween! We're sure that there's some pretty good loot sitting around your house after the build up to Halloween and a day of trick-or-treating (or trunk-or-treating... or parading...). Regardless of how you amassed that stockpile of sugar, you've still got to enjoy it responsibly! And that means:
- Eat sweet treats along with a meal so that your other foods dilute the full effects of the sugar in your mouth. Stay away from snacking all day long; this habit bathes your teeth in sugar and doesn't give saliva a chance to naturally cleanse your mouth.
- Go easy on sticky, gooey candies, which can stick to your teeth or dislodge fillings and crowns, and the hard, crunchy candies that can chip or break teeth.
- Brush for least 2 minutes twice a day and floss. And if you're not able to brush right after a meal, chew some sugar-free gum that is sweetened with xylitol instead! Chewing activates your salivary glands and helps cleanse your mouth of food and debris.
