National Picnic Month

July was national picnic month, but it’s still the perfect time to sit outside, enjoy the sunshine and eat al fresco. However, popular picnic foods like acidic fruit, sweet desserts or sugary drinks can be damaging to your teeth. Here are some tips that will help you enjoy your picnics and maintain good oral hygiene.

Tips for maintaining healthy teeth:

• Drink lots of water alongside what you eat.
• Limit eating time to one sit down session.
• Chew sugar free gum after meals. This stimulates saliva to neutralise imbalances.
• Eat snacks which replenish the enamel. For example, eat some cheese after drinking acidic drinks like orange juice to lower your mouth acidity and protect your tooth surfaces.
• Fruit is a great alternative to sugary desserts, but you can avoid damage to your teeth by sticking to ones with low acidity levels, like berries instead of citrus.
• Avoid sugary drinks. Water is always best, but you may want to try unsweetened iced tea for a treat.