At this time of year, the Easter Bunny brings us lots of delicious treats, but with these treats comes the risk of tooth decay. There are, however, some ways that you can minimise this risk.
Choose Your Treats Carefully
Hot Cross Buns often contain dried fruit such as raisins. Not only do they have high sugar content, they have a tendency to stick to the hard-to-reach areas of your teeth, increasing the risk of tooth decay. Try to choose those that do not contain dried fruit, or choose a different treat for yourself. When it comes to eggs, dark chocolate Easter eggs are more tooth-friendly than milk or white chocolate, as they contains less sugar and more cocoa. There are also increasingly more sugar-free options available in the supermarkets today.
Enjoy your Easter Treats at Mealtimes
Every time we eat something sugary, our teeth come under attack from harmful acids which soften the enamel, making them more susceptible to erosion and decay. Therefore snacking on sugary foods throughout the day subjects our teeth to multiple attacks, increasing our risk of decay. By keeping sugary snacks to mealtimes, we are keeping these attacks to a minimum.
Drink Plenty of Water
Drinking water after eating helps to neutralise the acids in our mouth.
Clean Your Teeth
It’s important to ensure we are keeping our teeth clean, however we must make sure that we are cleaning our teeth at the right time. Our teeth are attacked by acids after we eat sugary foods, which in turn softens our enamel. It is essential that we allow the enamel to re-harden before cleaning our teeth in order to avoid brushing away the weakened surface. Allow at least 30 minutes after eating before cleaning your teeth.