Families with young children look forward to Halloween, and for good reason.

Putting the costumes together, watching them experience one of childhood’s simplest thrills, and of course, sneaking into their candy stash… it’s a great time of year!

But given the unique risks that trick-or-treating can pose for your child’s teeth, our team Carmichael Dental Care wants to give you some pointers so your Halloween isn’t haunted by a dental emergency.

Common Halloween Dental Emergencies

Here are a couple of common dental emergencies we see around Halloween in our Montgomery, AL dental practice.

*Things That Go Bump In The Night!

With the hoards of little trick-or-treaters swarming the neighborhood, you can expect a few of them to get knocked around accidentally. If another action hero or warrior princess bumps into your child or vice versa, they could suffer a dental injury like a broken or loosened tooth.

But since you’d rather avoid something like that happening, you can lay down some ground rules, which we’ll talk about later!

*A Tooth Gets Spooked!

If a tooth gets spooked and jumps ship, don’t assume there’s no chance to save it!

It’s not uncommon for a child to lose a tooth while trick-or-treating because they tripped over their own costume, or their face mask kept them from seeing that porch step or curb.

You can store the knocked out tooth in a sealable container of milk or water until you reach our dentist office, and if we can save it, we will!

How To Be Prepared

When you do a little planning ahead of time, you’ll be able to stay cool and calm in any dental emergency. Here are some specific ways you can be prepared if one should happen on Halloween!

*Create Your Own Dental Emergency Kit*

No matter what time of year it is, it’s always a good idea to have your own dental emergency kit at home.

This will help you save time because all the dental tools you might need in the event of an oral injury will be all in one container.

You can order one online, or gather the items yourself, which can include:

*Sterile gauze

*Plastic or rubber gloves

*A dry washcloth

*Non-aspirin pain relievers

*A dental mirror

*Dental adhesive

*A small container with a lid

You should also be sure to store the number to Carmichael Dental Care in your phone so you don’t have to waste time searching the phonebook or online for an emergency dentist nearby!

You can reach us at 334-600-1423 when you need dental treatment right away!

*Sit Down As A Family & Talk About The Rules*

Before heading out for trick-or-treating, make sure you sit down as a family to talk about your expectations and safety rules for the evening.

Making sure the kids stay close to you will ensure they don’t run ahead and risk tripping or falling, for example.

You may also want to tell them not to eat any candy until you’ve had a chance to go through it once you get home.

*Check Your Child’s Candy*

Before your child digs in, be sure to check his or her candy first. You’ll want to distinguish between the tricks and the treats when it comes to their teeth.

To prevent dental damage, try to avoid hard candy like jawbreakers or suckers. Biting into them could chip or crack a tooth, but those types of sweets also expose their teeth to sugar for much longer, which can lead to decay and cavities.

The same is true when it comes to sticky, gooey candy like caramel and taffy.

Count On Us!

We know that avoiding a Halloween dental emergency is ideal, but accidents happen when you least expect them.

So if your trick-or-treating adventure turns into a dental disaster, know that you can count on your Montgomery, AL emergency dentist!

We’ll do all we can to see you right away, get you out of pain, and save your smile!

Trust your dental emergencies to our team at Carmichael Dental Care. Call 334-600-1423 or fill out our online form to request an appointment.