Holidays are a time to get together with family and friends for big dinners. In particular, Easter is connected to candy and treats. That means your family’s teeth can be at risk around this holiday. All of that sugar can lead to cavities and gum disease.

Call our Winnipeg, MB dental office today at 204-977-8515 and schedule your next appointment. Easter can be rough on your family’s teeth, so regular dental exams are needed to make sure there aren’t any problems hiding.

How Food & Drink Affects Your Family’s Teeth

When it comes to protecting your teeth and gums, you already know how sugar is a problem. But why? It’s because harmful bacteria thrive on energy-rich sugar. As they grow and multiply, they produce an acid that damages your teeth and gums. This is how you get tooth decay and gum disease.

Although bacteria love sugar, they can eat almost anything you can. Carbohydrates are packed with energy, so bread, pasta, and potatoes can increase your risk of cavities and gum disease similar to sugar. But just about anything you eat leaves behind food particles that support those bacteria.

There’s one other thing your family need to be aware of: acid. Some foods like wine, pickles, and coffee are naturally acidic. Other foods like pop have acids added to them to balance how sweet they can be. Any of these acids can erode your enamel and leave you with weakened teeth.

That’s why brushing, flossing, and regular dental visits are so important. The more you keep your mouth clean, the more you can decrease your risk of dental health problems.

Tips For Helping Smiles Get Through This Holiday

Here are some specific ways you can help your family limit the damage all those Easter foods and drinks can cause.

Rinse with plain water after meals and snacks.

Because cavities and gum disease are made worse by those food particles on your teeth and gums, it makes sense that washing them away will help. After your meals and snacks, rinse your mouth with water. This can also get rid of acids coating your teeth so they won’t do much damage.

Limit how much pop people drink.

Regular pop is full of sugar. Drinking this coats your teeth and gums with sugar, increasing your risk of dental health problems. But all pop — even diet — is also highly acidic. You might be doing better by drinking diet pop, but that acid is still damaging your teeth. Enjoy the holiday but limit how much pop you and your family drinks. Water is always the better choice.

Put any Easter baskets away.

It’s an Easter tradition to lay out baskets filled with all kinds of candy. That’s fine! You don’t want to take away all sweets because this is a holiday after all. Besides, your kids might rebel. But there’s no reason to leave these baskets out all day long. After everyone has tried some candy, put the candy in the freezer and the baskets away.

Skip colorful and sticky chocolate.

All candy can hurt your teeth, but some do more damage than others. Candy that’s bright orange, blue, or some other color can stain your teeth. You won’t get orange teeth! Instead, those teeth will start to lose their whiteness. Sticky candy is a problem because sugar gets stick all over your mouth. This just makes cavities and gum disease more likely.

Replace some of that candy with toys and games.

Speaking of candy, there’s no reason why every gift for this holiday has to be some form of sugar. Some candy is fine, but replace some of those sweets with more healthy alternatives. In fact, small toys and games make a great replacement because they’re fun but will not hurt your teeth.

Call Lakewood Dental Centre today at 204-977-8515 or use our online form to schedule your next appointment. A dental cleaning helps get rid of plaque and tartar that those bacteria create, while a dental exam will help find problems while they are still small and easier to treat.