5 questions for a local dentist

He knows some of you are afraid of him, but Dr. Tom Pointner assures he's no Frankenstein.

Pointner is a dentist and the owner of Fox Valley Dental Care on Alfred Avenue in Elgin.

With a resume that includes a stint as chief of dental staff at Sherman Hospital and an award marking him one of America's Best Dentists, The Courier-News thought he was qualified to answer some trick-or-treat-related dental questions.

Don't be scared. Pointner assures: "We're here to help you, not hurt you."

1. Does your office get busier around Halloween?

No ... Usually the types of changes that you get with teeth with regard to candy are more long-term problems. It's the chronic candy eater who has more problems than the person who eats a couple of extra pieces over Halloween -- the habitual candy eaters.

2. What is the worst candy you can eat as far as your dental health is concerned?

Usually the sticky candies, because the sugars get stuck down in the grooves of the teeth and they are much harder to clean away. They usually promote the most tooth decay.

3. I have a sweet tooth. Is there a sweet treat that is OK to eat?

The best thing for your teeth snack-wise is a piece of sugarless gum. The gum can lift out food particles and with no sugar, there is less decay. Chewing on gum can also stimulate salivary glands to produce more saliva. The saliva helps neutralize acids from foods and that, can help fight cavities.

4. What is the worst trick-or-treat-induced dental injury you've ever seen?

Nothing candy-related, but because the kids are out and about and running around, there is always a kid who runs and falls down and busts a front tooth that I need to fix. Of course, there is always someone who bites wrong on a jaw breaker and tells me, "I broke my tooth instead of my jaw."

5. Do you have any tips for area eaters breaking into their Halloween loot?

Everything in moderation. If you cut the portions down -- say, instead of a big Baby Ruth, have a snack-size -- and always brush, floss and fluoride rinse when you're done. That's probably the most important. It's not the people who eat doughnuts who get fat, it's the people who eat doughnuts and don't go to the gym.