With Easter just around the corner, so is the temptation of delicious jellybeans, chocolate eggs, marshmallow peeps, and other candies.
It is difficult to stay away from the sugary treats of the holiday entirely. And the fact is that some kinds of candy aren’t that bad for you.
Eating chocolate in moderation, for instance, is health. But during Easter everyone tends to consume an overload of candy and chocolate.
And these sugar-rich treats are the leading cause of tooth decay. Which is why Thornton Dental wants to remind you that, Easter notwithstanding, don’t forget about your oral health, and keep your eye on your sugar intake.
Easter and Sugar
The World Health Organisation recommends keeping sugar consumption under 10% of daily energy intake. For the average adult, this is below 12 teaspoons daily, though it varies by sex and size.
Over half of Australian adults exceed this recommendation, and on Easter staying below it becomes even harder. Here’s a quick example of why:
- Peanut butter chocolate eggs – 5 to 8 teaspoons
- M&M’s Milk Chocolate Eggs (42 grams) – 7 teaspoons
- Cadbury Creme Eggs (1 egg) – 5 teaspoons
- Russell Stover Marshmallow Eggs ( 1 egg) – 4 teaspoons
- Jellybeans (40 grams) – 7 teaspoons
You can see that it doesn’t take very much to get over the recommended limit, and if there is an Easter basket nearby it takes a lot of restraint to remain at a healthy level.
Here are six tips to help you maintain oral hygiene during the Easter holidays.
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Avoid these candies
- Hard candies, especially those you suck on, douse your teeth with sugar.
- Candies that are sour, sweet, and hard also tend to have high acid levels that attack enamel.
- Sticky or gummy candy can damage your teeth because they stay in the mouth and on the teeth.
When the bacteria inside your mouth use these sugars for food, the process creates acids that destroy tooth enamel and lead to cavities.
Because your mouth is continually at work remineralising calcium and phosphates to repair your teeth, limiting sugar intake is essential. If you don’t limit sugar intake, your mouth does not have time to rejuvenate.
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Avoid continuous consumption. Enjoy your Easter treats with a meal, or in one sitting. During a meal, or if you eat your candy in one sitting, your mouth produces saliva, which fights off acid attacks caused by sugar in the mouth.
This is because saliva neutralises acids, washes away food bits, and repairs the early effects of tooth decay by remineralising tooth enamel.
- Water is your friend. After eating Easter sweets, it can help to drink water to rinse away the sugar. The water helps dilute any acid attacks caused by sugary snacks.
Where possible, avoid fizzy drinks that often contain high acid levels, and stick to water. Also, keep smoothies and fruit drinks for special occasions. Many people think of these drinks as healthy, but they have surprisingly high sugar levels that can harm your teeth.
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Themed baskets. Focus on your child’s personality in determining the theme. Does your child love painting, helping out in the garden, watercolours or cooking?
Create a basket based on their interests. If your child is artistic, fill an old paint can with acrylics, charcoal, sketchpads, paint brushes and a few instructional books on landscapes and wildlife. If they are young, give them a colouring book that focuses on Easter bunnies.
For young chefs, replace the traditional Easter basket with a bright and festive mixing bowl. Fill the bowl with recipe books, mixing spoons, and ingredients to make healthy Easter treats.
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Don’t brush directly after eating. It seems logical to brush your teeth straight after enjoying a sweet, but this can be dangerous.
Immediately after you’ve finished eating candy, particularly sour ones, your mouth is acidic, and this softens the enamel of your teeth.
Brushing can damage the softened enamel and force even more acid into it. Wait at least 30 minutes before brushing – to give saliva time to neutralise acidity.
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Visit Thornton Dental. In addition to your oral hygiene routine at home, schedule regular cleaning appointments at Thornton Dental .
A teeth cleaning treatment removes the plaque before it can lead to tooth decay. So, after Easter? It’s time to visit Thornton Dental. We’ll take a look at your teeth, clean them, and recommend any further appropriate treatment.
Why Choose Thornton Dental?
Thornton Dental is committed to the promotion of good dental health and the education of all patients to help them achieve a beautiful, healthy smile for life.
We know that choosing the right dentist for your family is a serious task, and we are glad that you chose us! Every day we create more and more reasons to make you happy guided by our principles – care, quality, and affordability.
Our goal is to make dentistry affordable while providing the best available care.
- We focus on patient care
- Exceptional infection control
- Friendly, approachable and experienced team
- Child-friendly and relaxing environment
- Patient comfort, safety and satisfaction are our primary goals
- Customised care tailored to your specific needs
- Integrity, high standards, premium quality materials
- Anxiety control and pain management
Thornton dentist is also serving local communities in Beresfield, Tarro, Woodberry, East Maitland, Chisholm, Green Hills, Metford, Ashtonfield, Tenambit, Morpeth, Lorn and Raworth.
Our New Patients Promotions
- Pay No Gap: No Gap for dental checkup, clean, fluoride & 2 x-rays (with any health insurance)
- No Health Insurance: Only $145 ($95 for kids) for Checkup, Clean & Fluoride
Call us on (02) 4966 2996 or visit at 9/1 Taylor Ave in Thornton.
We hope to see you soon!
