Since the start of the year, Easter has been creeping up on us with the huge amount of chocolate eggs taking over the supermarkets.
The temptation to eat your weight in chocolate is there throughout the whole year but during Easter, when other people are buying you chocolate, it’s very hard to resist.
We completely understand that you will want to treat yourself to some chocolate – why wouldn’t you? What we don’t advise, however, is compromising your oral health over Easter. We have put together some of our top tips for making sure your teeth don’t suffer from any neglect over Easter.
The most important tip we have for you is not to ditch your routine. Keeping up a good oral health routine every day, especially throughout Easter will help to contribute to keeping your teeth healthy and decay free. Brushing twice a day for two minutes, flossing and using mouthwash is the perfect combination for keeping your teeth nice and clean.
It is often unclear of when you should brush your teeth during the day. We recommend brushing last thing before you go to bed at night and once in the morning. It’s important to remember that you should wait an hour after eating to brush your teeth and after brushing, to not eat for half an hour. This is to reduce any possible acid erosion from occurring.
When it comes to sugary foods and their negative effect on your teeth, it’s not how much you eat of it but how often you eat it. We suggest keeping your consumption of chocolate to once per day (Treat O’clock) as this gives your mouth a chance to return to a neutral acidity.
After eating chocolate, or other sugary foods, it is a good idea to chew sugar-free gum or have a glass of water or milk. This will help to remove any sugary debris from around the teeth.
Did you know that some Easter eggs on the market can contain up to 10 times the recommended daily amount of sugar?
Doing your research on the amount of sugar that’s in your favourite chocolate egg can help you work out how much you should be limiting yourself to during a day. If you enjoy dark chocolate, that is far better for your teeth as it often contains significantly less sugar than milk chocolate. There are also completely sugar free chocolates available.
Easter isn’t all about chocolate. Instead of asking your family and friends for chocolate eggs, why not ask them for fresh flowers to brighten your home? If you want to treat your child during Easter, setting up a treasure hunt around your home and garden to hunt for clues or small non-chocolate gifts is a great way to ensure they have fun.
If you feel you won’t be able to resist the chocolate this Easter, why not book yourself a dental check-up or hygienist appointment for straight after the celebration? By visiting your dentist, any potential symptoms of decay can be recognised early. If you are worried about your teeth not being as clean as you’d like, having a hygienist appointment is a great way to try and combat any tooth decay from occurring.
If you would like to book an appointment, or would like more advice on looking after your teeth over Easter, call Regent Dental Centre on 0161 941 2143.
Website last updated: January 2025
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