Help Easter be Tooth Friendly!

With Easter just around the corner, many parents may be looking for some way to prevent their child from having a repeat of the post-Valentine’s day sugar rush. Easter is a dangerous time for those trying to stay away from chocolate, as candied eggs and bunnies seem to be around every turn. However, though it may be near impossible to avoid the chocolate craze all together, some level of care can at least be taken to minimize the number of post-Easter cavities.

Which Candies Should Be Avoided?

Sugar by itself does not inherently cause any problems for teeth. Tooth decay and cavities are caused by the buildup of bacterial film and plaque. Sugar is simply easy fuel that will allow such bacteria to flourish in the oral cavity, contributing to increasing numbers of cavities and a host of other issues. With that in mind, we recommend that you try to stay away from the sugary goods that will hang around on your child’s teeth for extended periods of time. We’re talking about stuff of toffee or cream filled eggs, caramel, and other sticky sweets that honestly are more about the sugar than the chocolate.

What Should I Get Instead?

Dark chocolate is the best bang for your buck if you’re only looking at minimizing damage to teeth. It has high cocoa content and low sugar content, ratios that are ideal for inhibiting bacterial growth in your mouth. However, try feeding any child dark chocolate and you’ll likely not receive a very favourable response. Save the dark chocolate for your own enjoyment, and look to get your kids chocolates that contain something to help break up the stickiness. Nutty chocolates are an excellent example, as they will encourage extra chewing and help move the sugar along faster.

Other Options

Easter isn’t just about chocolate! Most children will appreciate a cute stuffed bunny as an Easter gift, and might even get so excited they’ll forget about chocolate altogether! Be proactive about your approach to Easter, and try to confine the chocolatey goodness to a day or two instead of letting your kids run wild on a week long binge.

Centennial Smiles disapproves of cavities, but we’re certainly happy to help get rid of any that are out there! Give us a call today at (587) 317-7959 to set up an appointment.