Protect Your Egg-Cellent Smile: 4 Tips for Easter Oral Health

Easter is a time for chocolate and hot cross buns (amongst other things) – which unfortunately means bad news for your oral health. Chocolate and hot cross buns contains lots of sugar and with over-indulgence, can be particularly damaging to your teeth by causing tooth decay. This is because the sugar in such foods is taken up by bacteria in our mouths and produces acids, attacking the outer layer of your tooth enamel to cause tooth decay.

But, let’s face it… As much as we know and want to resist it, those chocolate Easter bunnies are calling our names. So, how do we continue to enjoy food we love and minimise the damage to our teeth? Check out our four tips below to help you maintain your egg-cellent teeth!

• Don’t Snack All Day. Restrict your sugary treats to mealtimes rather than between meals to reduce the time your teeth is exposed to sugars and acids. When we frequently snack on sugary treats, our saliva does not have time to neutralise the acid attacks produced by the bacteria in our mouths, and over time, can cause a cavity to form from the sustained acid attacks.
• Drink Water. Water is your smile’s best friend. After a sugary treat, drink water to wash away any leftover food and sugars that cavity-causing bacteria love to digest. It also dilutes the acids produced by the bacteria in your mouth.
• Wait to Brush. Tooth enamel is softer and weaker when exposed to acid. To give your saliva enough time to neutralise the acids, and re-harden your tooth enamel, it is recommended to wait for at least 30 minutes before brushing after a sugary treat. In the meantime, drink water.
• Continue to Practice Good Oral Hygiene. Don’t let the excitement of the Easter long weekend break your dedication to your oral health. Ensure to continue to put aside time each morning and night to practice your good oral health routine (i.e. brushing twice a day and flossing once a day).

From the team at the Australian Dental Foundation, we wish everyone a safe and happy Easter!