Easter is a national holiday in the US, so many families celebrate with get-togethers, egg hunts, and baskets full of plastic green grass regardless of religion. However, Easter is notoriously bad for your family’s dental health.
Call Nashua Family Dentistry today at 603-546-7460 to schedule appointments for your whole family. Dental exams are crucial for finding problems caused by Easter while they are still small and manageable.
4 Ways Eating And Drinking Hurt Your Smile
When it comes to Easter, the biggest problems come from the food and drinks your family will enjoy. But just know these four foods and drinks are the ones that cause the most dental problems.
- Candy and sugary treats: Sugar is the favorite food of the bacteria that cause cavities and gum disease. The more sugar you eat, the more your risk goes up. Plus, some candy sticks to your teeth.
- Carbohydrate-heavy foods: Carbs are very similar to sugar. They both are packed with energy. That means carbs can help those bacteria thrive as well. Candy is still worse, but don’t ignore the impact of mashed potatoes, rolls, and similar carb-heavy foods.
- Acidic foods and drinks: Acid can corrode your enamel. That means foods that are highly acidic (such as soda, coffee, fruit juice, tomatoes, and pickles) can damage your enamel similarly to tooth decay.
- Alcohol: The alcohol in beer, wine, and spirits hurts teeth several ways. Some drinks are acidic, while others are very sugary. Dark drinks like red wine will also stain your teeth. And all alcoholic drinks will dry out your mouth.
Solutions To Protect Your Teeth This Easter
Your family should have some treats and enjoy themselves! But here are some ways you can limit any dental health risks and have an Easter safer for your family’s smiles.
Replace some candy with small toys and activity books
Easter baskets full of candy and sweets is a tradition, especially for children. However, you know that sugar is bad for teeth and gums. One solution is to replace some (but not all) of the candy this Easter with something fun like small toys, coloring books, and the like. This way, you take away some of the sugar while keeping Easter fun.
Skip colorful and sticky candy.
All candy is bad for your family’s smiles, but some are worse than others. Any candy that is sticky (like jelly beans, candied fruit, etc.) will stick for a while on your teeth and gums. This just gives harmful bacteria more time to eat and thrive. Candy that comes in bright colors will also stain your family’s teeth.
Don’t put candy baskets out for people to graze on.
Again, some candy is fine to enjoy at Easter. You want to make this holiday fun. But many families leave those Easter baskets full of candy just sitting around all day long. This encourages people to snack and graze on candy. Instead, let your family enjoy some and then put the rest of the candy in the freezer. By putting out of sight, your family will be less likely to be tempted by it.
Limit soda (regular and diet) and alcohol.
Regular soda is one of the worst drinks for your family’s teeth. That’s because it’s full of sugar and acid. Diet soda skips the sugar, but it’s still highly acidic. Then there’s alcohol, which dries out your mouth and often comes with lots of acid and sugar. This Easter, you can help your family protect their teeth by only having a little of these drinks.
Rinse with water after eating that big Easter dinner.
Easter dinner is traditionally big, rivaled only by Thanksgiving. Ham, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, dinner rolls, and more will cover almost the entire table. Enjoy your favorites this Easter, but make sure you rinse with plain water right afterward. This can help wash sugar, acid, and food particles off your teeth.
Call Nashua Family Dentistry today at 603-546-7460 or use our convenient online form to schedule dental cleanings and dental exams for your family after Easter is over. Our highly skilled team can get your teeth professionally clean and find any problems while they are easier (and cheaper) to fix.