Family Easter Dental Tips

Easter dental tips to help you maintain oral hygiene

With Easter just around the corner, so are the temptations of delicious chocolate eggs. It is almost impossible to keep away from sweet treats when it seems that everywhere you look there are mouth-watering chocolate eggs. The truth is that eating chocolate in moderation is healthy, but during Easter everyone tends to consume an overload of lollies and chocolate. Sugar is the top cause of food decay. During this season do not forget about your oral health.

Here are a few Easter dental tips to help you maintain oral hygiene during this time.

Avoid continuous consumption

Aim to enjoy your Easter treats only during meal time. During meal time your mouth is already producing saliva and the saliva will do a much better job of fighting off acid attack from the sugar. This is because saliva usually neutralizes acids, washes away food bits and repairs the early effects tooth decay by remineralizing tooth enamel.

Drink tap water

Every time you eat a sugary treat make sure you drink a glass of water. Water will wash away the left over sugars that would otherwise turn into acid that causes tooth decay. Also a dry mouth creates a conducive environment for bacteria, drinking water aids in re-hydration and increases saliva flow. The enzymes in saliva usually neutralizes the acid and returning pH of the mouth to neutral. Chewing sugar free gum also assists in saliva production.

Wait to brush

After eating all that sugar acid will accumulate in your mouth. With all that acid in the mouth it is a good idea to wait for about an hour or 30 minutes before you brush your teeth. The duration you wait all depends on how much water you took to neutralize the acid in the mouth. Even though the enamel is strong, brushing with all that acid in your mouth can easily wear away more enamel.

Brush your teeth twice a day

There is no better time to reinforce the importance of daily brushing in your home than Easter. Brush in the morning after you had breakfast and before you sleep. Remember to wait the right amount of time after you had sugary treats. It is advisable to use fluoride toothpaste. Do not forget to floss.

Moderation

Moderation is key. Do not deprive yourself of sweet treats but do not overdo it. Choose small portions and share with others. By doing so you have less sweets at your disposal. Also choose your candies, not all candies are the same. Actually, dark chocolate is the best option. Choose sugar free candies and avoid chewy or hard candies.

Easter and candy go hand in hand. However by making smarter choices you keep your teeth and those of your family healthy before your next visit to the family dentist. If you have any questions or want to schedule an appointment contact the professionals at Smileland today.

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