Halloween campaign seeks to scare off tooth decay

• Those caramels, taffy and hard candies can do a lot of damage
• A video game will help kids join the fight
• Dentists point to simple solutions to candy overload

The scariest thing about Halloween isn't the spooky costumes or gruesome monster makeup — it's the damage that sticky caramels, chewy taffy and hard candies do to kids' teeth, dentists say.

The American Dental Association is offering an alternative this year with its "Stop Zombie Mouth" campaign, co-sponsored by PopCap Games.

"Only 44% of kids brush their teeth twice a day. That's a massive public health failure right there," says Jonathan Shenkin, a pediatric dentist from Augusta, Maine, and spokesman for the association.

Dentists will distribute 1 million packs of trading cards featuring characters from PopCap's Plants vs. Zombies video game, as well as coupons for a free computer edition of the game to be given out to trick-or-treaters. The cards include messages such as a reminder for children to brush their teeth twice a day and also a coupon code for the computer game.

The campaign website, stopzombiemouth.com, also has coloring pages, Halloween masks and a music video featuring game characters singing about oral health.

"Tooth decay is one of the simplest diseases to prevent. All you need is to brush your teeth twice a day with a fluoride toothpaste and have a balanced diet to have minimal carbohydrates between meals. ... That will reduce your risk of disease dramatically," Shenkin says.

With children taking home an average of 90 pieces of candy on Halloween, damage can continue for several weeks, says Timothy Chase, a cosmetic dentist with SmilesNY in New York City. "A high sugar concentration changes the pH in the mouth, which allows demineralization of the tooth enamel. If you're doing that all day, it weakens the teeth."

Children shouldn't be snacking on candy throughout the day, Shenkin says. Candy should be given as a dessert with a meal rather than as a treat between meals.

Sticky candies that linger in the mouth, sometimes pulling out fillings, should be avoided. Shenkin and Chase agree that plain chocolate and sugar-free gum are better alternatives.

Sugar-free gum, which promotes saliva flow and dilutes sugars in the mouth, can be given as a treat as long as the children are old enough to understand the gum is not to be swallowed.

Chase suggests drinking water after consuming sugary treats to balance the pH in the mouth. Brushing about half an hour after sugar consumption and flossing will also help remove any particles left behind.