IT GOES against everything we've told ourselves, but the science backs up dentists' Halloween tip to stuff your face with as many sugary treats as possible, as fast as you can.
Yes, that careful child who squirrels away their 'trick or treat' booty to munch over time is actually doing more damage to their teeth than the kid who hits the lollies with the intensity of a piranha, during a feeding frenzy.
Or at least that's the message coming from the Australian Dental Association (ADA) President, Dr Carmelo Bonanno, ahead of Thu's festivities.
"It may come as a surprise to hear a dentist say this, but if you have your sweets in the one sitting or over just one day, then the sugar isn't continuing to hang around in your mouth, causing more opportunities for decay," Bonanno said.
"Every time you eat sugar, it feeds bacteria which create acid, breaking down the tooth enamel and exposing the mouth to decay. Doing this repeatedly over a few days or in the week after Halloween is compounding.
"So keep the sweet-eating to the day of Halloween, 31 Oct, and give your mouth a break from sweets after that."
Bonanno also recommended trick or treaters should chew sugar-free gum to stimulate saliva to help cleanse the mouth and create a buffer to protect their teeth from acids caused by food and drink.
He also suggested taking dark chocolate over milk.
The above article was sent to subscribers in Pharmacy Daily's issue from 30 Oct 19
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