Wellness Tips | 02 March, 2021

Keeping your teeth healthy over Easter

Can you have your eggs and eat them too?

It’s that time again, Easter is upon us. Yay! Easter eggs. Your teeth may not thank you, but your taste buds sure will. Is there a way to enjoy your sugary chocolate eggs and protect your teeth? YES…. aaah, thank goodness.

So, here’s how to fight off those cavities during a holiday filled with chocolate bunnies, marshmallow chicks and wait for it…cream eggs….mmmmmmmmmm. Our wellness people at Maven Dental have the tips you need to protect your smile:

Start the day with healthy food. The rest of the day may be difficult to control, but breakfast should be easy. Greek yogurt, green smoothies, protein shakes, and eggs and are all examples of super-healthy and teeth-friendly breakfasts. Stay away from sugary cereals and juices and remember to brush your teeth before breakfast and rinse with a fluoride mouth rinse after.

Wait to brush after eating chocolate. After eating, sugar and acid stay in your mouth. These bacteria produce acid which is problematic for your teeth (an acid attack).  So, rinse with water after eating sweet sugary foods and avoid brushing for around 30 minutes as this can cause further damage to the teeth surface layer (enamel).

Easter Article Inner Page Image 2021

Enjoy your Easter eggs at mealtimes, not between meals. A mouth that is already producing saliva will do a better job of fighting off the acid attack. This is because saliva is high in minerals and helps:

  • neutralise the acids
  • wash away excess food
  • repair the early effects of tooth decay by remineralising tooth enamel.

Avoid hard and sticky sweets. Sticky sweets often get caught in between the grooves of teeth. Water is sometimes not enough to flush this away and if sticky sweets remain on the tooth, they may cause dental decay.  Hard sweets cane sometime lead to chipped teeth so should be avoided too!

Dark chocolate: Believe it or not, this is the best candy alternative of all! Chocolate with a cocoa level of 70% or more is best as it contains natural chemicals that limit oral bacteria and neutralise microorganisms that cause bad breath and prevent some sugar from turning into acid. Plant-based antioxidants have also been proven to slow tooth decay. Wow!

Last, but not least - to ensure your teeth have survived the Easter holidays, book an appointment with your local Maven Dental practice for a check-up ??