There’s nothing wrong with indulging in a bit of Easter cheer (read: chocolate) this long weekend, in fact, a little bit of chocolate can actually be beneficial to your teeth!
However too much of the sweet stuff isn’t just a precursor for bad oral health, it isn’t exactly great for overall health and well-being either.
Here are our 5 tips and tricks to help get your teeth through Easter in one (whole, not hollow or filled) piece:
Go for dark
- Look for the chocolate that has a high cocoa percentage (over 70% is best). Cocoa beans contain tannins, polyphenols, and flavonoids, each of which is a type of strong antioxidant that benefits your mouth and teeth. Tannins are what give dark chocolate it’s slightly bitter taste and are responsible for the sweet’s dark pigments. More importantly, they help prevent cavities by inhibiting bacteria from sticking to your teeth. Polyphenols limit the effects of bacteria, meaning they work to neutralize the microorganisms that cause bad breath, prevent infections in your gums and battle tooth decay. Flavonoids work to slow tooth decay, among other things. Try to avoid white chocolate – white chocolate has a particularly high sugar content.
Hollow overfilled
- Eating chocolate of the hollow kind means you are limiting sugar intake. Whether that be an egg, bunny, duck – go hollow if you’re concerned for your teeth.
Avoid gooey, sticky, chewy
- Gummies, sticky sweets or caramels are some of the worst treats for teeth. Not only are they packed full of sugar, but they also take longer to chew so teeth become coated in the stuff. The texture also often means bits and pieces get stuck in and wedged in. The more sugar left on teeth – the higher the chance of cavities.
Alternatives to chocolate?
- Chocolate doesn’t need to be the star of the show! There’s plenty of alternatives to giving and eating chocolate at Easter – think arts and crafts, flowers, small toys…an egg hunt, egg painting. There’s plenty of other ways to make someone happy!
Keep up your oral hygiene routine
- We all know to brush twice a day – don’t let your routine slip if you’re out of your normal day to day routine. If you have children, it’s especially important to reiterate this to them at Easter time.