Many kids look forward to Easter adventures that involve hunting for eggs and enjoying sweet treats. If you’re worried about the effects of holiday candies, you don’t need to ban them entirely. These dental care tips will help you balance oral health and fun for your children.

Do:

Choose dark chocolate.

When giving your children Easter candy, dark chocolate is a smart choice. Chocolate with 75% cacao has properties proven to strengthen enamel better than fluoride, and studies show cocoa bean husk extract can reduce plaque.

Provide lots of water with candy.

Eating candy fuels oral bacteria, which produce acids that damage tooth enamel. Drinking water helps neutralize the acids, and so does swishing the mouth with water after eating sweets.

Don’t:

Give sticky treats.

Caramels and taffies expose your kids’ teeth to sugars longer than other treats because they stay in the mouth longer. They also tend to linger in the nooks and crannies of the teeth, which can be hard to reach with dental tools. Avoid these candies when filling your children’s Easter baskets. Though dried fruits may seem healthier, they’re likewise sticky and sugary, so they can be almost as bad as caramels.

Neglect brushing and flossing.

After your kids enjoy their Easter snacks, make sure they brush and floss their teeth. This extra dental care step will clean gooey sugar and sticky candy residue from between teeth and around the gumline.

If your child has dental issues after Easter or any other time of the year, bring them to the caring dentists at Pediatric Dental Group in Honolulu, HI. These skilled and compassionate professionals have provided preventive, routine, and emergency dental care to children of all ages since 1966. Visit their website to learn more about their services, or call (808) 593-8828 to schedule an orthodontic exam or teeth cleaning. You can also check out their Facebook page for news and health updates.