Children everywhere are waiting anxiously to see what treats the Easter Bunny will bring them this Easter. And since the shelves at the grocery stores are stock-full of chocolates and candy, you can guarantee there won’t be any vegetables in those Easter baskets…aside from a few carrots for the bunnies themselves.
Registered Dental Hygienist Anaida Deti is regularly tapped to provide tips and commentary to Canadians on how to take better care of your oral health. So, before you let your little ones indulge in their tempting Easter basket, check out Anaida’s 7 tips on how to keep a healthy smile for Easter:
- Be a picky eater: choose chocolate over a sticky hard candy that can linger in your mouth and even cause chipped teeth. Try to choose a hollow treat rather than something stuffed with more gooey, sugary ingredients.
- Think outside the basket: Easter gifts don’t always have to be about sugary, treats; swap the candy for crayons, colouring books or even outdoor toys.
- Kinder Surprise: for fun Easter egg hunt, swap the chocolate for stickers or kid friendly tattoos
- Keep the healthy snacks in rotation. Not only are these healthy overall, they also help to clean teeth and neutralize harmful bacteria. Nuts, pre-cut fruits and veggies, hummus and pita are all great snacks that kids seem to like if they are laid out before them in bite-sized portions.
- After meal treats: a small indulgent after a meal is healthier than grazing through-out the day. Your mouth is already producing saliva from your lunch/dinner and will therefore be able to ward off any acids that can lead to decay.
- Make sure that they continue to brush their teeth before bedtime. This is most important when Easter sweets are involved, as you want the sugars to be brushed away so they won’t sit on the teeth overnight
- Milk Mouth: Load up on healthy sources of calcium like cheeses, yogurt, eggs and milk which will help add much needed calcium to growing teeth.
- Gentle reminders for Tweens and Teens. Dental Hygienists see a lot of people’s teeth and the worst seem to be those of tweens and teens who tend to be responsible for their own personal hygiene and are often not given daily reminders to keep teeth and gums healthy. Gentle reminders to brush and floss twice and day, and in some cases, watch to ensure that they are caring for their teeth properly will help avoid decay and cavities.