• The best and worst pancake toppers for your teeth
• Dental experts guide for low sugar alternatives
• Peanut butter over honey and yoghurt over ice cream to maintain oral health
Syrup, sugar, and sprinkles spring to mind as Shrove Tuesday approaches, but this day of indulgence can be seriously detrimental to oral health. The excessive sugar in popular pancake toppings erode teeth enamel and can lead to cavities, yellow teeth, and bad breath.
For those still going strong with their New Year diets, the team of dental experts at teeth whitening brand White Glo, have put together a guide on the pancake toppers to save your waistline and your teeth from sugar overload, whilst still enjoying all the tempting treats on offer.
Swapping lemon and sugar for fresh fruit and cinnamon will not only reduce the inevitable insulin spike but cutting the acid from the lemon will decrease damage to the tooth enamel. The experts recommend choosing berries for the least likely chance of acid damage.
Chocolate spread is another of the UK’s favourite toppings of choice, but Nutella contains 8.6g of sugar per portion and the highly addictive combination of palm oil and sugar makes portion control unlikely.
Replace the spread for raw cacao nibs to satisfy the sweet cravings, without the added sugar. However, if a drizzle of chocolate can’t be resisted, opt for Tiptree chocolate spread for slightly less of the sweet stuff at 7.1g of sugar per portion.
While honey and maple syrup are natural sugars, they still soften the teeth enamel. Rowse honey contains 12.2g and Clarke’s maple syrup has only slightly less at 10.6g per portion. The experts recommend opting for a natural protein-packed peanut butter like Whole Earth’s version, for just 0.5g of sugar.
Ice cream is another pancake favourite but swapping for a natural Greek yoghurt will more than half the sugar consumption from roughly 12.2g to just 5.1g. The added calcium in the yoghurt will stick to the plaque on teeth to rebuild any damaged enamel, making it the ideal dairy alternative.
White Glo’s dental expert, Jordan Kirk explains, “While it may seem obvious, brushing your teeth after eating sugary foods is essential to not just good oral health but also to keep your teeth white. The {{teeth enamel is naturally white, but as it gets worn down by sugar, the yellow layer underneath starts to show through.}} The thinner your enamel becomes, the more yellow your teeth will appear. Using a daily whitening toothpaste like White Glo’s Professional Choice, will combat this and help restore a white smile.”
Jordan continues, “Pancake day is often seen as a day of indulgence before giving something up for Lent, but by making a few simple swaps you can still enjoy your favourite treats, without the added damage to your teeth. Enamel damage can last long after high sugar foods are consumed, so I’d recommend brushing your teeth more than you normally would, to get rid of excess sugar from your mouth.”
Follow the expert’s advice this Pancake Day and make choices to drastically reduce the damage to your teeth and smile.
For more information on how to look after your teeth and keep a white smile visit White Glo
ENDS
Teeth Whitening sample kits are available for press.
Research to be credited to White Glo.
For additional comment, imagery, or to accompany this release please contact Danielle on danielle@kincomms.com or call 02077179696.
Notes to Editors:
White Glo Professional Choice was originally formulated exclusively for actors and models and is now available on UK high streets. The formula is made up of the same ingredients dentists use in their clinics to provide a white smile.
UK Stockists include; Boots, Superdrug, ASDA, Tesco and Morrisons.
RRP: £3.99
White Glo was first established in Australia in 1993 and was the first company to introduce teeth whitening products to the Australian market. White Glo is one of the market leaders in Australia’s whitening toothpaste and teeth whitening industries. White Glo products are now sold in the United Kingdom, South Africa, Russia, Singapore, China, Hong Kong, Japan, Middle East, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Greece, Philippines and Cambodia.
