Now that the holiday season is in full-swing, you've got to keep an eye on your kids teeth. Between all the candy they got on Halloween and all the sweet treats they'll eat throughout the remainder of the holidays, you're looking at a recipe for cavities and tooth decay. Luckily, you don't need to cancel out all the sweet treats. You just need to add some precautionary steps to your holidays. To help you stop the holiday season from turning into the cavity season, here are four steps you can take to protect your kids teeth.

Don't Let Your Kids Take Candy to School

Kids love to sneak candy into their backpacks, especially during the holidays. Small candy bars, and even candy canes, are the perfect size to stow away inside a backpack. However, if your kids are eating sticky candy while they're at school, that stickiness is staying on their teeth. Unfortunately, that means that the sugar has the chance to eat at your kids teeth all day long. Protect your kids teeth by implementing a "no candy at school" rule for your kids to follow.

No Sugary Sweets Before Bed

Between October and December, kids have access to buckets and stockings full of candy. While your kids have their holiday candy, make sure you limit consumption to before bedtime. That way, your kids have a chance to brush and floss the candy off their teeth before they head to bed. The last thing you want is to have sugar on your kids teeth all through the night.

Serve Cheese with Your Holiday Meals

Holiday dinners are notorious for sweet treats too. No holiday meal is complete without the marshmallow-topped candied yams, the eggnog, and the whip cream-topped pies. You don't need to say no to those tasty holiday favorites. All you need to do is include cheese at the holiday table. Giving your kids cheese during their meal will help get rid of the sticky sweetness that's on their teeth, and help neutralize the sugar that can lead to tooth decay and cavities.

Encourage Your Kids to Drink Plenty of Water

Your kids are going to be offered lots of sweetened drinks during the holidays. You can offset the damage by by encouraging your kids to drink plenty of clear water, especially after mealtime. Drinking water will help rinse sugary substances out of your kids mouths, and encourage saliva production, which can help prevent cavities.

Don't let the holidays turn into the season of cavities. Begin the season by scheduling a visit to a dentist, like one from Bahman Guiv Dental. Then,use the tips provided here to promote healthy teeth during the holidays.