Well, it appears that February is here once again in Berkeley, CA and that means one particular holiday is on deck – Valentine’s Day! With that being said, dental implant provider Dr. Anthony Dailley, along with the rest of his staff at Anthony Dailley, DDS, could not be excited to put smiles on the faces of all our valentines.
However, seeing as we are a dental office first and foremost, we couldn’t help but start thinking about how focused this holiday is on the consumption of candy, much like other popular calendar holidays like Halloween and Christmas. This got us wondering how we could both participate in the sweet traditions that come along with Valentine’s Day while also attempting to make them easier on teeth. We took to the drawing board and came up with a couple useful, and rather interesting, ideas that will both make your valentine smile and protest their smile as well.
Chocolate is the Key
We’ve all heard of giving and receiving heart-shaped boxes of chocolates with letters from our loved ones on Valentine’s Day. However, as of recently, other types of candy have become popular on Valentine’s Day. Of course, it makes sense that all candy company and brands want to cash in on the commercial success of this holiday, so hard candies like Jolly Ranchers, Mike and Ike, Blow Pops, Starbursts, etc. have all made Valentine’s Day themed marketing tactics for their products.
This is all well and good, as it’s a dog eat dog world out there and staying on top in the business world is tough. However, if you are looking to have a relatively teeth friendly Valentine’s Day, we suggest going back to the basics and sticking to them. Ditch the fruit flavored, sticky candies.
Why?
Because they stick to your teeth, sit there and attract decay-causing bacteria that can then wreak havoc on your teeth and gums. For people with dental implants, maintaining gum health is especially important.
Chocolate, however, dissolves fast and does not stick around on your teeth and gums the same way that chemically processed hard fruit candies do. In addition to this, if you are going to go the chocolate route, make it a step healthier by going dark. Aside from having various other health benefits, including antioxidants, dark chocolate has the ability to help control the number of decay-causing bacteria in your mouth for a short period of time.
Yay, science.
Make Your Valentine Something Special
So, with all the above-mentioned information in mind, what’s our suggestion? Why not make your valentine some dark chocolate cover strawberries this year? Have you walked into a store lately? A batch of chocolate covered strawberries is expensive! This is because nearly everyone loves them.
You can avoid this cost, and add a healthy element to it as well, by making them yourself. On top of this, these strawberries will be even more special because YOU made them! Head to the store, pick up a carton of fresh strawberries and a package of dark chocolate chips and you’re well on your way to Valentine’s Day success.
Until next time readers, keep smiling.