Trick-or-treating is a time-honored Halloween tradition, but a child getting three months’ worth of sugary candy can lead to real dental harm down the road. While it is important to keep up traditions, it is also important for kids to have healthy teeth that can last for the rest of their lives. In the interest of everyone’s Halloween fun and year-round dental health, here are a few alternatives to candy that you can hand out when the trick-or-treaters come knocking.
Terrifying Toys
Since Santa’s yearly trip is still a few months away, why not tide the local children over by handing out small playthings? Stretchy toys shaped like snakes and skeletons can give the local boys and ghouls a good scream while small puzzles can tease their brains and keep them out of their parents’ hair for a while. Monsters don’t always have to be mean, so plush monsters or freaky finger puppets can be fun trinkets. Why not put a little trick in with the treats by handing out spooky whoopee cushions or mini skateboards to the little monsters in the neighborhood?
Scream-Inducing Art Supplies
Halloween is a great time for kids to let their imaginations run wild, so why not help them along by handing out some frighteningly themed art supplies? These can be packets of crayons, coloring books, spooky stickers, pencils with monstrous designs, or erasers with fun Halloween shapes. These will have little artists and mad scientists-in-training working on their latest designs in no time.
Devious Decorations
Kids love fun decorations for their outfits and lockers, so why not hand a few out to trick-or-treaters? Festive magnets are fun trinkets with many uses. LED rings and glow bracelets are fun for kids to wear and can help make them more visible to drivers on Halloween night. Hair scrunchies are affordable and fun accessories for kids of all ages. Why not hand out a few bookmarks with scary themes to help get kids excited about reading?
Do Something Really Shocking: Hand Out Dental Supplies
With all the candy being thrown around on the streets during Halloween, why not hand out some goodies that children’s teeth will love? The local dentist will thank you if you hand out some mini tubes of toothpaste, toothbrushes, packs of dental floss, mini bottles of mouthwash, or sugar-free gum. You might even hand out bottles of water to keep trick-or-treaters hydrated and help them wash some of the sugary residue away from their teeth.
The Halloween season doesn’t need to cause tooth decay in order to be scary, and these non-candy options can be fun for children who can’t have candy for medical reasons. Halloween is all about doing something out of the ordinary, so why not break from the norm by giving trick-or-treaters something their fangs will thank you for?
About the Practice
Healthy Kids Dentistry aims to provide children in Aspen Hill, MD with positive and enjoyable dental experiences that will make them want to keep seeing their dentist. The staff is dedicated to making dental visits fun, educational, and effective at preventing all sorts of oral health problems. Services include pediatric general, restorative, and emergency dentistry. For more information on having a teeth-healthy Halloween, contact the office online or dial (301) 844-6999.