Thursday October 30, 2025 | VICTORIA, BC[Posted at 2:45 pm | Updated 3:34 pm]
by Mary P Brooke, B.Sc. | Island Social trends
The health ruthoirty for Vancouver Island is reminding families about the Island Health Dental Program.
Families are reminded of a few simple tricks that can help keep fang-tastic smiles healthy this Halloween.
In terms of consuming candy and treats after Halloween trick-or-treat, the recommendation is to enjoy sweet treats as part of a meal or snack.
Frequent eating throughout the day harms teeth, as they need breaks to recover. Constant exposure to food prevents saliva from neutralizing acids increasing the risk of tooth damage.
Do a mouth rinse with plain water after eating.
Brush twice a day:
“Dental hygienists recommend brushing twice daily with toothpaste containing fluoride,” says Island Health.
“Fluoride protects teeth by rebuilding minerals lost when sugar and acid attack the enamel. This is especially important for children since baby teeth have thinner enamel and are more vulnerable to damage,” said Island Health in their news release today.
Dental decay:
Tooth decay is the most common, yet preventable, childhood chronic disease in Canada and around the world.
“Treatment of dental problems is the leading cause of day surgery under general anesthesia in Canada, among children under the age of five, according to the Canadian Institute for Health Information,” says Island Health.
Early childhood cavities account for nearly one-third of all day surgeries performed on Canadian children between the ages of one and five.
No fluoridation in water supply:
There is no fluoridation in drinking water on Vancouver Island. Hence the advice from Island Health to brush twice daily with toothpaste containing fluoride.
“The benefit of fluoridation is clear”, says an Island Health spokesperson regarding a recent study out of Alberta — published by the National Library of Medicine (in July 2021) — regarding cessation of fluoridation in 2011 Calgary compared to continued fluoridation in Edmonton.
“The prevalence of caries in primary dentition was significantly higher in Calgary than in Edmonton.” The differences were “consistent and robust”, the study concludes.
Halloween tips
- Brush twice daily with toothpaste containing fluoride.
- After brushing teeth, avoid rinsing for 10 to 30 minutes. Fluoride in the toothpaste needs a bit of time to activate and rinsing right away can wash off the toothpaste. Spit out excess toothpaste, then allow the remaining fluoride to continue strengthening tooth enamel.
- Enjoy sweet treats as part of a meal or snack. Frequent eating throughout the day harms teeth, as they need breaks to recover; constant exposure to food prevents saliva from neutralizing acids increasing the risk of tooth damage.
- Offer plain water to help rinse the mouth after eating.
Learn about Island Health’s Dental Program.
Learn more about dental health for children.
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NEWS SECTIONS: ISLAND HEALTH | HALLOWEEN | EVENTS