STORY:  HALLOWEEN TREATS

SCRIPT #579  SHOOT:  10/13/04

AIRDATE:  Monday, Oct. 25, 2004

                          Daybreak and Midday

DHC Master #20   Timecode: 11:38

This week, children and some adults may

                                                                                                consume an unhealthy amount of candy.

                                                                                                The Halloween season can lead to bad news

                                                                                                at your next dental visit.

                                                                                                Dr. Linda  Niessen offers advice on the

best way to avoid Halloween related tooth

SOVT:  1:31                                                                           decay in today’s Dental Health Check.

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KIDS IN COSTUMES                                          (VOICE-OVER)

GETTING CANDY

                                                                                                Not all candy is created equal when it

                                                                                                comes to cavities.

                                                                                                Some types of treats are more tooth

                                                                                                friendly than others.

TRICK OR TREATERS                                                       So when young goblins roam neighborhoods, the kind of candy they

                                                                                                receive may affect their future oral

CLOSE UP OF CANDY                                                       health.

                                                                                                What your child brings home in the treat bag

                                                                                                can be more frightening than any goblin,

                                                                                                especially sticky, gooey candy that

                                                                                                stays on your child’s teeth.

SUPER:  Dr. Vicki Borowski                                            (“So things like caramels, Junior mints,

                     Dentist       :20-25                                             really sticky Starbursts that kids love now.

                                                                                                All those are bad candy choices.  Good candy choices would be something you might chew up like a piece of chocolate,

                                                                                                and it’s gone.”)   

SHOPPER PUTTING CANDY IN CART                          When you shop for candy, choose the

                                                                                                kind most likely to stay in the mouth

a short time. One suggestion: small

                                                                                                pieces of chocolate.

MORE TRICK OR TREATERS                                          Acid attacks occur for about 20 minutes

                                                                                                after children eat.  So to minimize tooth

                                                                                                damage, limit exposure.

BOY GETTING SEALANTS                                               Sealants also help.  Permanent 6 year and

12 year molars should be sealed as soon as

possible.

HALLOWEEN TREATS                                     Besides candy, look for alternatives such

                                                                                                as novelties.

SUPER:   Tripp Snuggs   1:15-1:20                 (“By the time children get to the 25^th or 30th

                    Halloween Shop Owner                  house they’ve been to, it’s kind of fun to get

                                                                                                a trick instead of a treat.”)

ON CAMERA                                                                       (STAND-UP CLOSE)

                                                                                                So this Halloween, make sure the

                                                                                                scary teeth in your household are only

                                                                                                part of a costume.  For Baylor College of  Dentistry, Texas A&M System, I’m Dr.                                                                                

                Linda Niessen, Channel 8 News.                                                      

Additional advice from the

American Dental Association:  www.ada.org

“Frequent eating of foods high in sugars and starches as between-meal snacks may be more harmful to your teeth than eating them at meals. Put the treats out of sight and encourage children to avoid excessive snacking, especially between regular meals. If they desire a treat, consider including it as part of the meal. Eating during a meal produces more saliva, which helps wash foods from the mouth and lessens the effects of decay-causing bacteria.”