Easter is much like Christmas in many ways, as it sees lots of people gorge on superfluous amounts of sugar. While their chocolate intake may be excessive just for a few short days, eating that much sugar can still have a detrimental affect on teeth.
Here is some advice you could give to patients coming into teeth whitening clinics ahead of the holiday.
- Choose carefully
All Easter eggs have a huge amount of sugar in, but it is still important to look at the nutritional content for each to pick one that has a lower quantity than others.
A 650g Chokablok King Billionaires Easter Egg from Tesco, for instance, has a massive 53.2g of sugar per 100g, which amounts to 344.5g of sugar for the entire egg.
The daily amount of sugar recommended from the government’s Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN) is just 30g for adults and children over the age of 11. Those aged seven to ten can have up to 24g, while children between four and six are restricted to 19g.
However, simply choosing a much smaller treat, such as a 300g Chokablok Egg, will more halve the amount of sugar consumed. Better still, a Thornton’s chocolate egg at 150g has 81g of sugar. Picking dark chocolate will also ensure your patients take in less sugar than a milk or white chocolate egg.
- Pick a low-sugar egg
Alternatively, they could try to avoid as much sugar by opting for a low-sugar egg, such as diabetic chocolate eggs. This will allow consumers to still indulge in a delicious treat, without causing damage to their enamel.
- Continue to brush teeth
Having this much extra sugar can really affect dental care, so remind patients to brush their teeth more thoroughly over the Easter holiday. It is best to wait half an hour after eating chocolate before brushing, and always brush at least twice a day.
It is important for patients to be reminded of the importance of good dental hygiene, especially during the four-day weekend, so their teeth can remain in top condition.
