Here comes the Easter bunny with his baskets full of candy! It seems like every spring holiday—from Easter, Passover, May Day, Ramadan, to Mother’s Day—brings its own special sweets along with it. Be sure your family can enjoy all your favorite spring treats and keep your smiles sparkling, too!

Indulge in Smile-Friendly Candy for Easter!

There are so many great candies to enjoy in the spring. Some might even have potential benefits for your dental health! We’re not saying go crazy with candy or anything, but there are a few favorites that you can feel good about enjoying.

Dark Chocolate

In general, chocolate is a pretty safe go-to treat. It rinses off the teeth easily and doesn’t stick around like gummies or hard candies. However, not all chocolates are created equal. Dark chocolate goes unrivalled as the top choice for tooth-friendly treats. Why is that?

While it generally contains less sugar than milk chocolate, already making it a great candy choice, dark chocolate may also help prevent plaque! Dark chocolate naturally contains a ton of beneficial antioxidants that can boost your mood and your health. However, research also indicates that dark chocolate contains natural compounds that fight cavities and tooth decay!

Not saying you should brush your teeth with it… but there have been some experiments with creating cocoa-based toothpastes in the past. As long as it’s 70% cacao, you’ve got a great Easter treat! Did you know Godiva makes a dark chocolate Easter bunny? Just saying.

Nuts

Want to make that dark chocolate even better? Toss some almonds in with it! Nuts are generally a great choice for your teeth. They have tons of healthy nutrients and chewing on rough and fibrous foods can remove plaque from your teeth.

Fortunately, nuts are also a popular selection for many spring holidays! Jordan almonds with their hard candy shells and pastel colors always make a great addition to any Easter basket. At Passover, almond kisses are a classic! Just be sure not to get the caramel version.

As healthy as nuts are for your health, be careful about cracked or damaged teeth, as chowing down on crunchy foods may make fractures worse. Likewise, take it easy on the tough treats if you have jaw stiffness or pain.

Spring Candies Worth Skipping

From the best, let’s take a look at the worst. In general, candies that can stick to your teeth for long periods are going to expose your enamel to more acid as they break down over a prolonged period. That means more damage to your enamel and more risk for decay.

This applies to anything sticky or chewy, as well as sucking candies and lollipops. The general rule is that we want to enjoy the sugar and then cleanse it from the mouth. Jelly beans are a standard go-to at Easter, but that sticky deliciousness can get deep into the grooves of your teeth and stay there. Likewise for jelly fruit slices at Passover. Caramel is another offender.

Taffy is probably one of the least smile-friendly candies out there. It not only sticks to your teeth but may actually cause immediate damage. Because it is so sticky and tough, taffy can pull fillings and crowns off your teeth!

Some Not-So-Bad Easter Favorites

Somewhere between the best and worst candies for your teeth, there are a bunch of classics that we’ll qualify as “not so bad.” While dark chocolate is a favorite among dentists, milk chocolate falls into a bit of a grey area. Because it’s diluted with more sugar and dairy ingredients, milk chocolate doesn’t have the same potential for cavity-fighting as dark versions. However, it rinses clean fairly quickly and doesn’t leave much sticky residue behind, so we’ll give it a pass.

This next one might come as a surprise, but marshmallow treats like Peeps likewise end up ranking in our “not so bad” category! While they’re incredibly sugary—okay, they’re basically just sugar—Peeps don’t stick around long after you eat them like gummies do.

When you think of macarons, you may think of the beautiful pastel-colored French sandwich cookies, or you may think of the puffy confections filled with sliced almond or shredded coconut. Whatever version you prefer, Easter cookies are generally a pretty safe bet. And like we said before, foods with high-fiber ingredients like nuts and shredded coconut can help scrape away a bit of build-up!

Enjoy Easter Candy and Healthy Teeth, Too!

We would never tell you not to enjoy your favorite holiday treats. Who doesn’t love a good jelly bean at Easter? Just be sure you’re giving your teeth a little extra TLC while you enjoy your favorite candies. That means brushing thoroughly at least twice per day and cleaning between your teeth at least once. You may think it’s a great plan to brush right after having your candy. After all, we want to clean the sugars away! However, your mouth will be more acidic for about 20 minutes after eating, so it’s best to brush before and/or wait for about 30 minutes afterward.

What you can do right away is drink water. Sugary foods can be dehydrating, so chugging a little H2O is a good idea anyway. Rinsing with water can also help wash away some of the sugars after eating candy and help your mouth get back to its neutral pH as quickly as possible. Sugar-free gum is another great way to cleanse your teeth and stimulate saliva for cavity protection.

Try not to snack on sugar throughout the day. It’s better to eat your treat and get it over with rather than nibbling like a rabbit little by little. Easter baskets are a fun and eye-catching decoration, but if you just can’t pass them by without stealing a bite every so often, you might need to put them in a low-traffic area or somewhere less convenient.

Spring is a time of hope and renewal, and we hope you can enjoy a little time with your loved ones, and some well-deserved indulgence, too. As always, don’t hesitate to call us if you have any concerns about keeping your family’s Easter as smile friendly as possible. Keep smiling and Happy Easter, Orlando!