If you currently have a dental hygiene booked, please be aware that you may need to be rescheduled as the new guidelines limit the number of patients we can see per day. All patients affected by this will be contacted.

If you are calling after hours with a dental emergency, please call the on call dentist at 1-888-757-9361. The referring doctor is Dr. Lee, or fill out our contact form.

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Be careful of hard candies like lollipops and jawbreakers. Slow sucking on these may maximize the sweetness in your mouth, your teeth will also spend just being exposed to cavity-causing sugars. Biting down on hard candies and jawbreakers can also crack or chip your teeth.

Chips can be sweet, salty, and savoury, yet they can also spell trouble by sticking to your teeth and breaking down into sugar, which can cause cavities.

Chewy candies and dried fruit can be loaded with sugar and these sweet treats can stick in the crevices of your teeth and cause tooth decay. Sour candies are no friends either as the acid that makes them tart can erode the enamel on your teeth. 

REMINDER: Enamel helps protect your teeth from daily use such as chewing, biting, crunching, and grinding. Although enamel is a hard protector of teeth, it can chip and crack. Enamel also insulates the teeth from potentially painful temperatures and chemicals. Bacteria in your mouth converts the sugar into acid, which can wear away the enamel. 

Though chocolates generally dissolve quickly in your mouth, which may reduce the chance of cavity causing sugars to linger around your teeth, it’s still sugary. Try to enjoy in moderation.

Some helpful tips to avoid the tricks from the treats:

• Eat your candy after a meal to minimize the portion and maximize the sweet-tooth satisfaction
• Eating cheese before you have your sweets can provide a protective, vitamin-rich coating on your teeth
• Floss every night to get rid of any leftover debris from in between your teeth
• Wait 30 minutes before brushing to prevent enamel damage – those 30 minutes allows saliva to do some cleaning on the sugars and acid left on teeth surfaces. Even soft-bristled toothbrushes can be highly abrasive when enamel is already weakened by high acid levels.

Keeping these tips in mind and you’ll know how to best enjoy your wonderful treats … your teeth will thank you!

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All is not lost! Here are alternatives that aren’t too sweet on the teeth but very sweet to enjoy!

• Natural fruit juice with no sugar added drinking boxes
• Applesauce pouches
• Fruit cups
• Organic fruit & granola bars
• Fruits, such as apples

Non food items such as:

• Pocket toys like yo yos, rubix cubes
• Glow sticks
• Gliders
• School stationary like pencils
• Stickers or temporary tattoos

Be creative with alternatives to hard candies and treats overloaded with sugar – not only are they healthier, but kids can enjoy great snacks and the parents can take comfort in knowing there’s no post-snack sugar crash. It’s ok to indulge from time to time, so we recommend limiting the amount of treats eaten in a day; keep the sweets as a treat, and not a snack. This will help keep things in moderation. Keeping candy consumption in check, along with proper brushing and flossing, and regularly scheduled visits to Dr Zafiris, will ensure that your halloween treats won’t play tricks on your teeth.

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Brushing your teeth at school

To maintain good dental hygiene, Dr Stephen Zafiris and his dental team recommend brushing at least three times a day – morning, day, and night, in addition to flossing at least once a day. Here are some ideas to help keep their teeth clean between meals when they’re at school:

• If your school permits it, encourage your child to brush after lunch. You may want to pack a travel sized toothbrush and toothpaste along with their meal.
• Brush as soon as possible after having sugary foods and drinks, except when having acidic foods. Don’t brush right away. Wait for about 30 minutes to allow the natural saliva from your mouth to clean off some of the acid. Brushing too soon can cause unnecessary enamel wear on the teeth. The reason is that acid temporarily softens teeth enamel, thus brushing too soon could scratch and do more damage to teeth. Allow some time for the acid to be washed, so that brushing will remove the unwanted food bits while minimizing the abrasion to the teeth surface.
• Drinking water helps to wash away some surface bacteria and loose food particles
• If gum chewing is allowed at your school, chewing sugar-free gum is a good way to ‘brush’ teeth surfaces and freshen up your breath
• If your child was not able to brush while at school, make it one of the first things they do when they get home.

Healthy Lunches and Power Snacks

Getting the right amount of energy from a balanced meal helps your child focus on their work and not their stomachs. Trade in those high-sugar sodas and pops, for low sugar and healthier drinks like water, milk, or natural juices with no added sugars. Here are some other healthy snack ideas:

• Calcium is one of the most essential nutrients for keeping strong and healthy teeth, and can be found in dairy foods. Try adding a slice of cheese to your sandwich, drinking a glass of milk, or top a cup of yogurt with fruit and dry cereal to help increase your intake without much effort. Cheese also has the added benefit of enzymes that help neutralize the bacteria that harm your teeth after a meal.
• Fresh vegetables can be rich in vitamins, minerals, fiber, and antioxidants – all essential for keeping your body healthy. Gnawing on some fresh carrots, broccoli, celery or cucumbers can help scrape plaque from your teeth and remove some of the odor-causing bacteria.
• Using a straw when drinking to minimize sugar contact with teeth. Better yet, limit the intake of sugary and carbonated beverages like pop and artificially sweetened juices
• Avoid packing foods that may stay on teeth surfaces after a meal, like caramels and chocolates; though sweet to the palate it may not be for your teeth – plus, expect a sugar crash in the afternoon
• Prepackaged snacks like applesauce can be a quick and convenient add-in to any lunch bag, but check the nutritional content and sugar levels. Look for the more natural and vitamin rich ones with no added sugars.

With just a few small adjustments to your daily routine and meal preparations, you can help your child maintain good oral hygiene and still enjoy meals that are nutritious and delicious. And don’t forget about picture day, make an appointment with us today to schedule a routine teeth cleaning and whitening. Give them something to smile about when they go back this fall!

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