Learn how Palo Alto dentist, Dr. Hansen make the idea of a healthy Halloween less scary with these tips – and tricks!
Wait Until The Last Minute
Our team has no problem celebrating Halloween all month long, but the one thing Palo Alto dentist, Dr. Hansen suggests putting off the longest is buying the candy. Keeping bite size candies out of the home or office for as long as possible will mean you will have less temptation. Halloween is technically only one day a year, but if you want to celebrate sooner, do so without the sugar. The more sugars you eat, the more damage it can cause to your tooth enamel, ultimately leaving you defenseless to cavities.
Beware Of The PSL Trend
Did you know one medium (grande) Pumpkin Spice Latte has 50 grams of sugar, 380 calories and 52 grams of carbs? That’s over 50% of the suggested carbohydrates for a day and double the amount of sugar in one cup! If you can’t say no to your annual PSL treat there are simple ways to cut the calories and sugar:
- Order only 2 pumps of pumpkin syrup (half the normal amount) and save 15 grams of sugar
- Save around 70 calories by passing on the whip cream
- Order a small (short) instead of a medium (grande) to cut out 170 calories
Boooo At The Guilt Trip, Celebrate!
There are plenty of ways to celebrate Halloween by including healthy versions of your favorite treats, like warm cider made with real apples and spiced cinnamon sticks, or adding fiber packed pureed pumpkin to your pancake mix. Palo Alto dentists, Dr. Hansen, avoids dried fruits, as they contain much more sugar than raw fruits, and they are sticky and sugary on teeth. And feel free to indulge a little with some dark chocolate. Yes! Eat the chocolate! The higher the cocoa content, or the darker the chocolate, the better. If you can’t find the time to brush your teeth after your chocolate treat, make sure to rinse your mouth with water to help remove excess sugar or debri that could harm your tooth enamel.
To learn more about how sugary halloween treats affects your teeth and how you can prevent any dental scares this October, call your Palo Alto dentist, Dr. Hansen at 650-326-3290 today!
