Children should get stickers not sweets during Halloween trick-or-treating, dentists demand

30 October 2024, 00:18

Children should get stickers not sweets during Halloween trick-or-treating, dentists demand (file image)
Children should get stickers not sweets during Halloween trick-or-treating, dentists demand (file image). Picture: Alamy

By Christian Oliver

Children should be given stickers, not sweets, during Halloween trick-or-treating to protect their teeth, leading dental surgeons have argued.

Listen to this article

Loading audio...

Many children across the country are preparing to collect a bounty of sweets this week when they knock on neighbours' doors during the annual trick-or-treating.

But the Royal College of Surgeons of England has offered tips to help children avoid tooth decay ahead of Halloween on Thursday, including avoiding lollipops and sticky sweets.

The dentists are also calling on the public to do their part by handing out stickers or playdough instead of sweets.

Children should get stickers not sweets during Halloween trick-or-treating, dentists demand (file image)
Children should get stickers not sweets during Halloween trick-or-treating, dentists demand (file image). Picture: Alamy

Read More: Prisons a ‘sweetshop for drugs’ with the system ‘on the edge of disaster’ new minister admits

Read More: Rise in 'hygiene poverty' as teachers report seeing pupils with dirty clothes, unwashed hair and unbrushed teeth

Dr Charlotte Eckhardt, dean of the Faculty of Dental Surgery at the Royal College of Surgeons of England, said: "Although we don’t want to be too draconian about one night of festivities, it is a good reminder that this should be regarded as an occasion and not the norm, you want to avoid sugar grazing as that’s more problematic for oral health.

"One of the best things you can do is to avoid lollipops, as their prolonged consumption exposes children’s teeth to sugar for longer, increasing the risk of tooth decay."

The dental expert's top tips issued by the faculty include:

  • Parents are advised not to let their children eat all their Halloween sweets in one sitting.
  • Children should avoid sweets that can get stuck to their teeth.
  • People who hand out treats on Halloween could offer “alternatives such as stickers or playdough”.
  • They should also limit the number of sweets given out to each child.
  • Children should be encouraged to opt for water instead of sugary drinks at Halloween parties.
  • And youngsters should be given a new toothbrush after they finish their treats, with the RCS saying that if it is in a favourite colour or carrying a cartoon character that might entice them to brush even more.
  • Parents should make sure children brush their teeth with fluoride toothpaste before going to bed, even if they are tired.

The RCS pointed out that tooth decay is the leading cause of hospital admissions among children.

In 2023/24, some 19,381 children aged five to nine in England were admitted to hospital because of tooth decay according to NHS England data.

More Latest News

See more More Latest News

Angela Rayner reveals she took advice from NHS trauma specialists ahead of Grenfell demolition meeting

Angela Rayner reveals she took advice from NHS trauma specialists ahead of Grenfell demolition meeting

Italian F1 Grand Prix - Previews

Nightclub bouncer behind £12m plot to reveal Formula One star Michael Schumacher's health secrets jailed

Josef Fritzl

Incest monster Josef Fritzl could walk free from prison next year - and expects 'cheering crowds' to greet him

Ofsted's Chief Inspector Sir Martyn Oliver supports an extension to term times

'Time to think about school holidays': Ofsted's Chief Inspector supports extending term times

Exclusive
Angela Rayner insisted that British support for Ukraine was 'unwavering'

Rayner insists UK support for Ukraine 'unwavering' despite Trump's plan for 'immediate' peace talks with Putin

Prince William, President of BAFTA, operates a film camera as he visits the London Screen Academy in London, Wednesday, Feb. 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth, Pool)

William tries his hand at being a cameraman on visit to London film academy

President Donald J. Trump participates in a bilateral meeting with the President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin during the G20 Japan Summit Friday, June 28, 2019, in Osaka, Japan.

Trump and Putin to 'start negotiations immediately' over ending war in Ukraine - with US President to visit Moscow

Street scene in Peckham, London, with red bus

Bus driver, 76, found guilty of killing passenger who was run over while attempting to board vehicle

Norward Road, Lambeth, the proposed LTN.

Council staff given 'wellbeing day' after attending 'stormy' neighbourhood meeting

United States Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, left, shakes hands with Britain's Defense Secretary John Healey prior to a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of a NATO defense ministers meeting at NATO headquarters in Brussels, Wednesday, Feb.

Ukraine's NATO membership plans 'unrealistic' says US - as defence secretary claims US troops won't be peacekeepers

Jaysley Beck, 19, was found dead at Larkhill Camp in Wiltshire

Officer accused of pinning down and trying to kiss soldier, 19, had been 'waiting for moment for them to be alone'

A public inquiry into the Nottingham attacks will begin 'within weeks'

Public inquiry into Nottingham attacks will begin 'within weeks', PM tells victims' families

Paul Allen.

Cagefighter guilty of Britain's largest cash robbery shot in neck in his kitchen in murder plot

Lucy Harrison

British woman, 23, dies after being shot dead at dad's US house as 'utterly heartbroken' family pays tribute

Ragley Hall, Warwickshire.

Earl sues parents over 'trauma' for not being gifted £85 million Warwickshire estate

d

Outrage as auction house flogs Nazi memorabilia including Göring's dinner plate, Luftwaffe dagger and Swastika bunting