Halloween treats wreak horror on children’s teeth, dental surgeons warn

With Halloween fast approaching, dental surgeons have warned parents and guardians how the excessive confectionery gathered during trick-or-treating puts their children’s teeth at risk.

Dr Charlotte Eckhardt, Dean of the Faculty of Dental Surgery (FDS) at the Royal College of Surgeons of England, has warned that dental decay is the most chronic yet preventable childhood disease due to constant exposure to sugary foods, drinks, and lack of good oral hygiene. 

She says, “Our children’s smiles will need a little extra care at this time of year. Parents allowing their children to eat their sweets in moderation, rather than binge on their stashes in one fell swoop, would be ideal, but that is not always possible. Improving oral health plays a critical role in our overall health and wellbeing, so remember to get your children to brush their teeth before bedtime on Halloween.”

Avoid being haunted by rotten teeth. The Faculty of Dental Surgery has compiled 10 top tips for protecting children’s teeth at this spooky time of year. 

• If trick-or-treaters visit you over Halloween, consider offering them alternative treats to sweets such as stickers. 
• Moderation is vital. Encourage your child to eat fun-sized chocolate bars over full size: all the flavour but a fraction of the sugar. 
• Drink water. Try to avoid sugary drinks, as water is much better for teeth. It helps rinse away sugar that would otherwise cling to teeth and balances out the pH levels in your mouth that sugar makes unbalanced.
• Avoid sticky or chewy sweets, as they remain on the teeth for prolonged periods and cause tooth decay more rapidly. 
• Brush teeth soon after eating confectionery to remove the harmful bacteria.
•  Encourage children to brush their teeth before bedtime with fluoride toothpaste. 
• Limit the number of sweets you give each child, particularly if they are sticky and extremely high in sugar.
• Give your child the gift of a new toothbrush in their favourite colour or sporting their favourite cartoon character design after they finish their treats. 
• Supervising and brushing your teeth with your child can make brushing fun and thorough.
• Brush and floss those fangs. Try to make more sensible decisions as fun as possible for little ones to keep tooth decay at bay. Reduce sugar consumption, brush regularly, and visit the dentist regularly.

In 2021/22, the costs to the NHS of hospital tooth extractions in 0- to 19-year-olds were estimated to be £81 million for all tooth extractions and £51 million for decay-related extractions. A total of 23.7% of five-year-olds in England have visible tooth decay. Of these children, 6.8% had one or more teeth extracted. Removal of decayed teeth, usually due to pain, will often require hospital admission and general anaesthesia. 

Dr Eckhardt adds, “We urge parents and guardians to encourage their children to practice good oral hygiene, as it will make a significant impact all year round. Tooth decay can cause eating and sleeping problems, resulting in missed school days. Our message is simple: scare tooth decay away by reducing sugar consumption, brushing regularly, having frequent exposure to fluoride, and making routine visits to the dentist.”

Dr Eckhardt strongly supports supervised toothbrushing in schools and nurseries. She says, “This is now urgent. By establishing supervised toothbrushing in school settings, we can directly improve children’s oral health and influence their toothbrushing routine in the home. We need a greater focus on prevention. It is shameful that removing teeth, rotted by preventable tooth decay, is consistently the main reason children are admitted to hospital. We must remind them how to keep those fangs clean as a whistle.”

Notes to Editors: 

1. National Dental Epidemiology Programme (NDEP) for England: oral health survey of 5-year-old children 2022: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/oral-health-survey-of-5-year-old-children-2022/national-dental-epidemiology-programme-ndep-for-england-oral-health-survey-of-5-year-old-children-2022 

2. Hospital tooth extractions in 0 to 19-year-olds 2022: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/hospital-tooth-extractions-in-0-to-19-year-olds-2022/hospital-tooth-extractions-in-0-to-19-year-olds-2022#:~:text=For%20the%20financial%20year%202021%20to%202022%20there%20were%2042%2C180,extractions%20for%20this%20age%20group

3. The research from the House of Commons Library: https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/nhs-dental-statistics/2022-23-annual-report

4. The Faculty of Dental Surgery at the Royal College of Surgeons of England is an independent professional body committed to helping the entire dental team achieve and maintain excellence in practice and patient care. It provides world-class courses, and its qualifications are internationally recognised, including its new Membership of The Faculty of Dental Surgery (MFDS) examination.

5. The Royal College of Surgeons of England (RCS England) provides world-class education, assessment, and development to 30,000 surgeons, dental professionals, and wider surgical and dental care teams at all stages of their careers. Our vision is to see excellent surgical care for everyone. We do this by setting professional standards, facilitating research, and championing the best outcomes for patients.

6. For more information, please contact the Press Office: Telephone: 020 7869 6053/6054/6047; Email: pressoffice@rcseng.ac.uk; Out-of-hours media enquiries: 0207 869 6056.