National Caramel Chocolate Day – March 19th
Who doesn’t enjoy chocolate? Especially when it’s combined with some gooey caramel?! Celebrate National Caramel Chocolate Day in your favorite candy, pour it over some ice, cream, or make your own special sweet dessert today to celebrate!
Did you know that Hershey is credited for creating the first caramel with chocolate back in the early 1880’s? That is about the same time they started making candy into bars to carry around to enjoy.
Today, chocolate and caramel are paired together in brownies, fudge, cookies, and cakes. Yum!
Just remember, there are ways you can make it healthier as well. You can toss in some crushed nuts, granola, or even yogurt. You can even drizzle it over your favorite popcorn and mix it up.
Finally, as you after you are done enjoying that treat, remember to brush well. However, here’s something you may not know. Dr. Maria Bustamante of Seven Star Dental in Cincinnati suggest waiting for about 30 minutes after eating a sugary snack to brush and floss, otherwise, you are basically brushing your teeth with sugar! The saliva has buffering agents that help to break down the sugar and neutralize the acidity. This allows you to safely brush your teeth and not be as concerned about the sugar on your teeth.
One thing caramel is known for besides being delicious, is it is sticky! This means, it might linger on your teeth or in the nooks and grooves of your teeth longer, making it potentially a higher risk for an acidic attack on your teeth. Therefore, don’t forget to rinse your teeth, and consider using a neutralizing toothpaste like baking soda after eating sweets. In addition, going into the tight contact areas between the teeth to catch any lingering candy using dental floss, will help keep your teeth healthy!
