halloween

It's time to celebrate Halloween but it doesn't have to be all about sweets!

Here are a few ideas of treats you can give to your child on Halloween to celebrate!

1. Jack-o-lantern Fruit Cups: Fill a hollowed out orange peel with various types of cut up fruit (apples, pears, grapes - anything your child loves!). To make it more fun, cut out a jack-o-lantern face in the orange peel.
2. Monster Apple Bites: Cut up slices of apples and fill with your child's favorite type of nut better (or alternative if your child has allergies). Then place a strawberry slice (for the monster's tongue), some type of seeds (for monster's teeth), and place some googly eyes! This makes for a fun "spooky" snack!
3. Mini Mummy Pizzas: Make your child's lunch on Halloween pizza, with his/her favorite ingredients! To give the "mummy" look, place slices of cheese in horizontal lines before baking.
4. Halloween Roasted Veggies: Make vegetables more fun by cutting them into fun Halloween shapes! Roast them in the oven for a healthy snack option.

These are just a few ideas on what you can do with your child. Just remember to make sure to brush your child's teeth after they have their sweet treat!

And don't forget, we are holding our annual Candy Buyback - your child can receive $1 per pound of candy they bring in (up to 5 lbs)!

What greater way to celebrate Halloween than with tasty and healthy snacks? This is a fun recipe to do with your child that's interactive and yummy!

Monster Apple Bites

Ingredients

1. 2 Apples - any color of your choice! (We chose green apples).
2. 1/4 cup of nut butter - any butter of your choice if your child is allergic to nuts! (We chose peanut butter).
3. 1/4 cup of seeds - any seed of your choice that look like teeth! (We chose pumpkin seeds, but you can also use sunflower seeds).
4. 2-3 strawberries
5. Handful of sugar googly eyes - these are available for purchase from the bakery aisle

Steps

1. Quarter each apple to create the monster. Cut the middle out of the slice to create a mouth - doesn't need to be perfect because you'll be filling in the gap with your nut butter!
2. Coat the inside of the "mouth" with the nut butter.
3. Place seeds along the top of the "mouth" to make teeth.
4. Place 1 sliced strawberry inside of the "mouth" to create a tongue.
5. Dab each googly eye with a bit of nut butter to stick the eyes to the apple slice.
6. Ta-da! Monster apples!

Hope this brings your child happy smiles on Halloween!

You may not know, but dentists can have a sweet tooth too! We love sweets just as much as you do, so with Halloween coming up, we wanted to give you tips on how to continue to take care of your teeth during this sugary holiday!

Candy that are "tooth-friendly" are candy that quickly leave the mouth and are not sticky! Chocolate is the best "tooth-friendly" type of sweet! It enters the mouth and leaves the teeth really fast as it melts away.

Candy that are not as "tooth-friendly" are candy that are sticky. These types of candy stay in the mouth for a long time! They stick really tight to the chewing surfaces of teeth and can potentially cause cavities. We want to avoid too much of gummy bears, gummy worms, taffy, and caramels.

The most important thing is to eat sweets in moderation. Keep your child's candy in a place that is not visible. Having candy out in the open and easily accessible will increase the amount of times your child will want to have that candy. Also, give candy as a special treat, not as a type of food they eat on a daily basis.

And of course, don't forget to brush your child's teeth! Remember to brush two times a day, two minutes each time.

We hope everyone has a safe and healthy Halloween, and keep your teeth shiny and clean!