After Halloween Night

 

¨ Brush teeth before bed and don’t eat until morning; saliva flow is reduced at night, making teeth susceptible to cavities.

¨ Eat cheese after snacking; the calcium in cheese re-mineralizes teeth and repairs early tooth decay.  As well, cheese brings the mouth to an optimal pH level, reducing the chance of cavities.

¨ Avoid sticky treats that can adhere to teeth, if you eat them, brush well afterwards.

¨ Chew gum after snacks for one hour to help prevent cavities; the increased saliva flow washes away bacteria.

¨ Choose gum and candy with xylitol; this sweetener actually prevents bacteria from sticking to the mouth.

¨ Limit snacks to two or three a day.

¨ Don’t let kids take their treats to their bedrooms where they can sneak bites in the middle of the night.

¨ Sort candy after trick or treating and give some away to kids in need.

 

These tips come from Dr. Charles Lekic (Denist) and Gina Sutherland (Dietitian), which were printed in the        Winnipeg Free Press, dated October 29, 2007.

Fish in a Pond

1/2 cup low fat cream cheese or cheese spread

Fish-shaped crackers

4 celery ribs, stems removed

 

Scoop the cream cheese into a bowl.

(You can tint the cream cheese with blue food coloring to make it look like a pond.)

Place the goldfish crackers in a separate bowl.

Let the kids dip the celery sticks into the cheese, then the bowl of crackers to “catch” a fish.

Serves 2