Are you as excited for Easter as our dentists in Cary NC? We love the bright colors of spring, the get-togethers, and the easter egg hunts as much as anyone. However, we wouldn’t be good Cary NC dentists if we didn’t think about our oral health while indulging in a chocolate bunny (or two). Sugar, as we know, can cause bacteria to breed in the mouth. As the bacteria digest the sugar in your mouth, they create an acid that can weaken your teeth’s enamel. This, in turn, can lead to cavities and other complications. However, if you follow this advice from our Cary NC dentists, you can enjoy your Easter with a healthy smile to show for it!:
- Pick Your Poison– All sweets are not created equal: chewy, sticky sweets such as caramels, jelly beans and marshmallow Peeps, which are popular at Easter time, tend to leave more sugary residue than chocolates and hard candies. However, if you are indulging in hard candies, be sure to suck them and not to bite. Sour sweets also contain a higher acid content, which can degrade your tooth enamel as well. If your favorite sweets fall into these categories, be sure to enjoy them in moderation, which brings us to our next tip:
- Avoid continuous consumption– Rather than eating sweets throughout the day, stagger the times when you enjoy them. Try eating them only after meals as, when you eat sweets continuously, you do not give your saliva time to properly neutralize the corrosive acids.
- Don’t brush–yet!- While you may be tempted to brush away that sugar, it is in fact better to wait at least 20 minutes, as brushing can further erode your teeth’s already weakened enamel. A better option would be to rinse your mouth with water, to help neutralize your mouth’s pH. Chewing sugar-free gum helps you produce saliva to do this job as well, and crispy apples can gently scrub away bacteria while freshening breath.
- Drink lots of water– Like rinsing, chewing sugarless gum, and eating crispy fruit, water is another great way to clear away sugar residue and keep your mouth pH balanced.
- Okay, now brush your teeth- once some time has passed and you’ve rinsed away the bacteria and acid, we encourage you to continue practicing good oral hygiene, that means brushing your teeth twice a day for two minutes, flossing daily, and rinsing. A fluoride mouthwash can also help further strengthen your enamel.
- Come see us!- Brushing at home is great, but a cleaning from our dentists in Cary NC is even better. Our dentists are trained to thoroughly clean away plaque and bacteria to give you your healthiest teeth and gums, and a fluoride treatment from our Cary NC dentists can help you strengthen that winning Easter smile.
While temptation is everywhere during the spring time, cavities are still very much avoidable. Follow this advice from Alliance Dentistry, and continue to make regular appointments with our dentists in Cary NC; you’ll be sure to preserve your smile for many Easters to come!