Carnival, fried pastries and sweets: enjoying February treats without tricks on teeth

Chiacchiere, frittelle, castagnole: the dentist's report card

Good news: Carnival fried pastries aren't the worst for teeth. Chiacchiere are crumbly and dissolve quickly; icing sugar washes away with a sip of water. More insidious are castagnole filled with cream or chocolate and frittelle with raisins, which stick to the molars.

The real Carnival 'villains' are the gummy sweets and lollipops thrown from floats and handed out at parties: sugar that stays in the mouth for a long time and wedges between teeth.

The 'all at once' rule

It applies to every celebration: better three chiacchiere after lunch than one every hour all afternoon. Every time sugar touches the teeth, bacteria produce acids for 20-30 minutes; if the tray is always within reach, the mouth never 'rests'.

Bring a water bottle to costume parties: drinking right after sweets greatly reduces acidity in the mouth. Fizzy drinks? Better left on the table.

Sweets from the floats: what to do with them

Back home with full pockets, do as at Halloween: choose together a small amount to keep, swap the rest for a small gift or let the 'Tooth Witch' take it away. The chosen sweets are eaten one at a time, after meals, over the following days.

Masks, face paint and... braces

If your child wears braces, beware of hard and gummy sweets: they can detach brackets and bend wires. Soft treats yes, toffees and sticky sweets no. And Carnival face paint? Remove it thoroughly from the lips too before the evening brush.

A party idea: a 'smile mask' to build together with card and big white teeth. Carnival lasts a week, teeth last forever. If after the festivities you notice a tooth sensitive to cold or sweets, call us on 051 814000.