Spring has finally sprung and with Easter just around the corner the supermarkets are full of hundreds of chocolatey Easter treats.
Easter can be great fun for children but the amount of sugary treats available can be a disaster for teeth. We have put some top tips together to help your family enjoy the Easter period (and some chocolate treats!) without putting your oral health at risk.
Enjoy Easter treats as part of a meal, rather than snacking throughout the day
After we consume something sugary, bacteria in our mouths produce harmful acids that cause tooth decay. It takes saliva up to an hour to neutralise acid attacks, so if you’re constantly snacking on sugary treats, your mouth won’t get a chance to recover. Remember, always try and eat your Easter treats as part of a meal rather than snacking throughout the day.
After eating chocolates and sweets, don’t brush straight away.
Tooth enamel is weaker and softer after it has been exposed to sugar and acid, so it’s best not to brush immediately after you’ve eaten something sweet. Many people think that brushing will remove the sugar and prevent decay but you could be damaging your tooth enamel with the abrasive brushing action. Always wait at least an hour after eating sugar before brushing, or alternatively brush your teeth before eating.
Non-edible Easter gifts
Children don’t automatically associate Easter with chocolate, it is something that’s learnt over the years with parents and grandparents giving sugary Easter treats. Why not try to avoid making chocolate the main focus of your Easter celebrations. During an Easter egg hunt why not hide a few non-edible Easter toys for them to collect along the way, that way they will also have something to keep. There are so many Easter-themed toys available such as cuddly toys, finger-puppets, fluffy chicks and colouring books which can keep them entertained for hours after.
Sugar Free Fun!
Children love arts and crafts, decorating hard boiled eggs makes a brilliant Easter activity and they make a tooth-friendly snack too!
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