Oral Health tips for Easter

With Easter upon us, the temptation of chocolate eggs, bunnies and sweets are all around us.

Our oral health team here at DeCare have come up with some top tips to keep you smiling through the holidays!

• Did you know in 2011 Ireland spent a staggering €23 million on Easter eggs (Irish Examiner 23 April 2011)  that’s a lot of chocolate! Brush Twice a day for two minutes a day with fluoride toothpaste [age 2+] and try to floss once a night before bed. Visit the dentist regularly at least once a year for a dental check up.
• Get creative and create fun Easter baskets filled with toys and teddies. You don’t have to give a gift of just chocolate! Children will love them and their teeth will thank you for it.
• Eat Easter chocolates and sugary sweets & foods with meals or shortly after mealtimes. Saliva production increases during meals and helps cancel out acids produced by bacteria in your mouth and helps rinse away food particles.
• Avoid the harder type of sweets [sometimes found inside the eggs] they stay in your mouth for a long time. Avoid sticky sweets that cling to your teeth. Besides how often you snack, the length of time sugary food is in your mouth plays a role in tooth decay. Hard sweets can also lead to dental trauma and should be avoided.
• Visit the dentist regularly at least once a year for a dental check up.