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Easter is a time for religious celebrations and for organising family get-togethers and Easter egg hunts. Because it’s such a joyful holiday, we rarely think of the threats around it, but as dental professionals, we can’t help but be a little scared about the plethora of sweet treats available during Easter.

You can’t go into a supermarket without seeing Easter eggs and other Easter candy enticingly arranged, and often right near the checkouts where it’s easy to grab. Sugar is so bad for teeth and general health, and the sheer amount available at Easter can present various challenges for families.

Whenever you have anything sweet, it not only fills you with joy but also feeds the bacteria living in your mouth. These bacteria consume sugar and leftover foods, providing them with energy to thrive. They also produce a weak acid as a byproduct that attacks your tooth enamel, eventually causing cavities.

However, it is possible to enjoy Easter celebrations with a bit of thoughtful planning while still keeping your teeth healthy and strong. An important part of your strategy is knowing which sweet treats are less harmful and those best avoided.

Bad Easter Candies

As a rule of thumb, any form of candy that can linger in your mouth is bad for your oral health. Sweets that are best avoided include:

• Sticky and chewy candies as these are more likely to get trapped between your teeth and around them and can be hard to remove. The longer sugar remains on your teeth, the greater the risk of cavities. Additionally, very sticky sweets can pull out fillings or crowns.
• Hard candies can take ages to dissolve in the mouth, therefore exposing your teeth to sugar for longer. Another risk is that you will bite down on a hard sweet and break or crack a tooth or a dental restoration.
• Sugar filled sweets like fondant or caramel-filled eggs also tend to linger for longer, and the sticky caramel and fondant can become stuck around your teeth.
• Sour sweets tend to be more acidic, and the acids can weaken your tooth enamel, increasing the risk of tooth decay.

The Better Easter Candies

All Easter treats are best enjoyed in moderation, but here are some of the better choices you can make for your dental health.

• Sugar-free sweets and chocolate are now widely available and can taste pretty good, so you can indulge your sweet tooth without feeling too guilty.
• Dark chocolate tends to have a lower sugar content and contain flavonoids and antioxidants that help protect your oral health. However, you shouldn’t have too much and choose dark chocolate with 70% or higher cocoa content.
• If sugar-free candy or dark chocolate doesn’t appeal, opt for ordinary chocolate without any sweet fillings. It will still melt faster than other sticky or chewy sweets.

After eating chocolate or candy, rinse your mouth with water but wait at least half an hour before brushing your teeth. Waiting allows your tooth enamel time to re-harden as pH levels begin to normalise. As always, don’t forget to brush at least twice daily and floss every day, even during the holidays.