Don’t let tooth decay be the scariest part of Halloween, warn dental surgeons

As children across the country gear up for a night of spooky costumes and sweet treats, the Faculty of Dental Surgery (FDS) is encouraging parents and carers to enjoy Halloween, without being haunted by tooth decay.  

Dr Charlotte Eckhardt, Dean of the Faculty of Dental Surgery (FDS) at the Royal College of Surgeons of England (RCS England) said: 

“With sweets and chocolates on everyone’s mind at this time of year, don’t be tricked by treats. Moderation and good oral hygiene are crucial to ensure tooth decay isn’t the scariest part of Halloween. 

“We know that for lots of families, avoiding sugar altogether this Halloween isn’t feasible, so we have come up with some ‘top tips’ to help you keep your children’s teeth healthy. Of course, if you can offer party-bag style alternatives like pencils, stickers or bracelets, you’ll be helping to say ‘Boo!’ to tooth decay.”  

Tooth decay is a scary prospect, but it is the haunting reality for thousands of children.  It is the leading cause of hospital admissions for children aged 5-9 in England. The FDS continues to call on the government to take decisive action to spare children needless pain, time off school, and avoidable surgery. Lowering the sugar threshold in the SDIL from 5g to 4g per 100ml and extending the levy to include milk-based drinks would help reduce sugar consumption for children and improve oral health for children. 

The Faculty of Dental Surgery has three top tips to keep children’s teeth healthy: 

• Avoid sticky sweets: lollipops and chewy treats cling to your teeth and increase the risk of decay. 

• Brush it off: get rid of the harmful bacteria by brushing twice a day with fluoride toothpaste: a new toothbrush in a favourite colour or with a cartoon character can make brushing more exciting. 

• Keep sweets with meals, not between them: eating sugary treats alongside meals helps protect teeth by limiting acid attacks and giving saliva time to repair enamel. Snacking too often means teeth don’t get a break, which can lead to long-term damage. 
  
  

ENDS 

Notes to editors 

1. The Faculty of Dental Surgery at the Royal College of Surgeons of England is committed to enabling dentists and specialists to provide patients with the highest possible standards of practice and care.  

2. The Royal College of Surgeons of England provides world-class education, assessment, and development to 30,000 surgeons, dental professionals, and members of the wider surgical and dental care teams, at all stages of their careers. Our vision is to see excellent surgical care for everyone. We do this by setting professional standards, facilitating research and championing the best outcomes for patients.   

3. The Faculty of Dental Surgery (FDS) at the Royal College of Surgeons of England has two recommendations to reduce the number of children being admitted to hospital for tooth decay: 
 a. Good oral hygiene and rolling out the Supervised Toothbrushing programme year-round; The Supervised Toothbrushing programme should be implemented year-round to ensure that as many children as possible benefit and establish positive brushing habits that they can continue at home. Children should brush their teeth twice daily with fluoride toothpaste and see a dentist regularly.  
b. Reduce sugar consumption by strengthening the Soft Drinks Industry Levy (SDIL); Sugar is one of the leading causes of tooth decay. When we consume sugary foods or drinks - such as sweets, fizzy drinks, or fruit juice - the bacteria in our mouths feed on the sugar and produce acid as a by-product which causes tooth decay. The Soft Drinks Industry Levy (SDIL) should be strengthened by lowering the sugar threshold from 5g of sugar per 100ml to 4g and extending the levy to include sugary milk-based drinks. 

4. Government released a press release on 16 September 2025 stating that tooth decay “remains the most common reason for a 5 to 9-year-old child to be admitted to hospital in England, with 70 a day having teeth extracted due to decay.” - https://www.gov.uk/government/news/hundreds-of-thousands-of-children-benefit-from-major-dental-health-drive 

5. For more information, please contact the RCS England press office: telephone: 020 7869 6053/6054/6060; email: pressoffice@rcseng.ac.uk. For out-of-hours media enquiries: 0207 869 6056.