Don’t Forget Your Oral Health This Pancake Day

As pancake day approaches, spare a thought for your teeth and oral hygiene before tucking in to your sweet treats!

Pancake day is often seen as a day of indulgence, before giving up something for lent. So why not spare a thought for your teeth and oral hygiene, before indulging on those sweet delights.

Wondering which toppings are best for you and your teeth? Here is some food for thought and alternative topping ideas for you;

Lemon and Sugar

The nation’s favourite topping seems to be lemon and sugar. However, unfortunately it is also the most harmful choice to make for your teeth. Lemon is highly acidic and will erode the enamel of your teeth. Adding that to its partner in crime being sugar, which is the key culprit for causing that dreaded tooth decay, you are setting your teeth up for two attacks in one! A good alternative would be some fruit and a sprinkle of cinnamon… and also just as yummy.

Honey/Syrups

Being another popular topping honey and syrups are also full of sugar… and very very sticky, meaning it can be more difficult to remove from your teeth! Why not swap these for a high protein butter or a peanut butter.

Ice cream

We all love to add a dollop of ice cream on top of our pancakes, so why not swap this for a natural greek yoghurt. Making this small swap could half your sugar intake by at least half!

Nutella/Chocolate Spread

Nutella and chocolate spread are another popular choice. They may seem a good choice, with the high dairy content, but did you know that half a jar of nutella is just pure sugar?? Infact, at 56% sugar it is one of the worst toppings you could choose for your pancakes. Try swapping these chocolate spreads for a raw cacao to still get your chocolate fix. Or even a sugar free, high protein chocolate spread.

Alternatively, you could try topping your pancakes with savoury instead. Such as ham, cheese, spinach or vegetables like peppers or mushrooms. Any meats or cheeses would work. And not only would they be kinder on your teeth, they most certainly will contain less calories.

If you struggle to resist the sugary toppings, try to limit how many pancakes you eat and always wait an hour after consuming them before giving your teeth a thorough brush. If you brush your teeth too soon after eating something sweet and sugary, you could damage your enamel further. Remember your enamel will already have been softened by the sugar attacks and the acid from your toppings. So be sure to leave the correct amount of time between eating and brushing.