Dentist Dr Khaled Kasem has shared his top tips on the best time to eat advent calendar chocolate and which types of chocolate are the best for your teeth at Christmas
The arrival of December signals the start of advent calendar season, with many indulging in their delicious treats this morning.
However, an expert has warned that the manner in which you consume it could potentially harm your teeth. It’s common knowledge that excessive chocolate consumption isn’t ideal for dental health due to the high sugar content, which can lead to cavities and tooth decay.
But naturally, you crave your morning fix as you savour tasty treats in the run-up to Christmas – so how can you relish the chocolate while also safeguarding your teeth? Dr Khaled Kasem, chief orthodontist at leading invisible orthodontics chain Impress, has offered advice on the optimal time to eat your advent calendar and which calendars are most beneficial for your dental health.
He suggests consuming chocolate in the morning, but advises waiting an hour before brushing your teeth afterwards. He stated: “You might think that waiting until the evening to eat your advent chocolate is the healthier option. But, chocolate will give you a great mental and physical boost in the morning due to its caffeine and sugar content. It’s also packed full of flavonols, the antioxidant that helps to delay cell damage caused by the oxidants that we are exposed to daily from things like air pollution, cigarette smoke, and alcohol. Chocolate actually contains more antioxidants than green tea.
“Wait at least half an hour before brushing your teeth after eating anything containing acid or sugar to maintain strong enamel.” He also highlighted that those undergoing aligner treatment might experience increased sensitivity and should “give your mouth a good rinse with a glass of water after eating your chocolate to reduce the risk of causing any damage to your teeth.”
When selecting an advent calendar, he suggests opting for simplicity: “keeping it simple with plain chocolates” is better for dental health. He cautioned against hard sweets, stating: “Cracking into toffees and hard caramels or even a crème egg is not the way to go if you’re worried about the effects on your teeth. For aficionados of dark chocolate, there’s encouraging news. The dentist proclaimed: “Eat all the dark chocolate you want.”
It might come as a surprise for a dentist to be encouraging you to eat chocolate, however dark chocolate is known to have many benefits and preventing tooth decay is one of them. Not only this, but it also helps to fight the bacteria that cause the sugar to turn into acid and contains strong antibacterial agents.
The darker the better when it comes to choosing a dark chocolate, and it even helps prevent bad breath so it’s an all-round favourite treat for dentists. Dr Khaled Kasem has highlighted that “chocolate with nuts is a great choice” because they help “keep teeth healthy by balancing out acid erosion in saliva and reducing tooth decay risk.”
However, he warns to be “careful with caramel-infused chocolate as anything sticky can be particularly difficult to remove from your teeth” in order to maintain oral hygiene. Regarding mint chocolate, Dr Kasem notes it’s “full of nutrients and is considered one of the best antioxidants, full of vitamins A and C. ” He points out that “Vitamin C in particular has great benefits by building healthy teeth and gums” and adds that it’s “not only tasty but has a pleasant aroma so you’re less likely to have bad breath.”
