Halloween is next week! That snuck up on us, didn’t it? I have to be honest: Halloween is probably my favorite holiday. And my son is taking right after me. We plan our costumes for months ahead of time, try to jump out and scare each other all through October, and of course we look forward to trick or treating.

As much as we love all the spooky fun, as a hygienist and a mom, I have to help my son manage his sweet tooth. Not to mention my own. So how can we protect our pearly whites and still eat our favorite treats?

Prep Your Kids Ahead of Time

We recommend making a plan before taking your little ghouls door to door. (Maybe even making a plan for yourself as to what you’ll do with leftovers the trick or treaters don’t take home.) Set a goal to donate half of your haul. The Soldiers’ Angels Treats for Troops program is an awesome way to unload an overabundance, for example. Or, you could limit how many houses you hit to avoid the glut altogether.

Set up a plan for when candy can be eaten. Obviously not before dinner, but also make sure you’re not letting your kids (or yourself) graze on little pieces of candy throughout the day. I am super guilty of this one. The more times you expose your teeth to sugar throughout the day, the more damage it can cause. So it’s actually better to eat your treats in one quick sitting if possible. Well, better for your teeth, but maybe not your waistline.

Just make sure you set these boundaries ahead of time and that everyone is on board. Trying to change tacks after those pumpkin buckets are full to bursting can really backfire. Trust me on that one.

What Kind of Candy Makes All the Difference

When you’re picking out which candies to enjoy, remember that they each have different risk factors. Hard candies can chip or fracture teeth if you chew on them. On the other hand, sucking on a hard candy leaves a source of sugar in your mouth for a long time, which is a great way to feed oral bacteria. Sticky and chewy candies like Tootsie Rolls and taffy get stuck in the grooves of your teeth. Sour candies not only have tons of sugar, but they’re also acidic, which is a double whammy.

All things considered, chocolate is still your best bet for going easy on your teeth. It leaves the oral environment quickly and it’s soft without being sticky. And there are even some properties in chocolate that may help promote oral health! (Sure, that only applies to super dark chocolate with no added sugar, but a gal can dream, right?)

Practice Good After-Candy Care

If you have excellent oral health, your teeth can probably handle a few candies at Halloween. This is one of the times all that brushing and flossing really pays off.

No matter what your home care routine looks like, you can help your teeth out a little by swishing vigorously with water after eating candy to wash out extra sugar. A fluoride rinse is not a bad idea, either. Sugar-free gum can also help neutralize the pH in your mouth.

Have a great Halloween, and stay safe. And remember to brush your fangs, Orlando!