Easter jelly beans, chocolate bunnies and marshmallow chicks have been on the grocery store shelves since February 15th and the kids have certainly taken notice. You have been able to buy a little time by telling them they have to wait for the Easter Bunny. But now April 5th is fast approaching and you need to start gathering goodies for their baskets.

Not everything has to be edible. Include a couple age appropriate coloring books and a box of crayons, colored pencils or markers.
Books are always a great gift no matter what the occasion.
Now that the weather is getting warmer add a couple outdoor toys. A mini golf or T-ball set, a kid sized gardening kit or sandbox or swimming pool toys are always great choices.
For older kids who may roll their eyes at the Easter bunny but still expect a basket on Sunday morning, you can’t go wrong with cash or gift cards.
You can still include sweets in their baskets; just make sure to select the right ones. Choose chocolate over sticky gummy treats. Jelly beans, gum drops and tacky candies such as taffy can literally stick to the teeth. When deciding which chocolate is best, pick solid dark chocolate over those with sweet fillings.
Add fruit. This way they still get the sweetness without all the harmful processed ingredients.
After eating those sweet treats have the kids chew a piece of sugarless gum to get the saliva flowing. This helps to wash away harmful acids and bacteria.

We here at Ellis Dental would like to wish all our clients, friends and family a very Happy Easter. We will be open our regular hours, so please feel free to contact us at 314.965.1334 to schedule an appointment.

I’m sure as a child as soon as you got your Easter basket on Sunday morning the first thing you did was unwrap that big chocolate bunny and munch on both his ears. But now for Mr. Bunny’s health and the dental health of your children, consider some of these alternatives to those sugary Easter sweets.

Include a bag of bunnies. Annie’s cheddar bunnies are certainly keeping with the Easter bunny theme without all the added sugar and artificial ingredients.
If it just wouldn’t be Easter or if you’re afraid your child might feel deprived then practice portion control. Get a couple of those plastic eggs and add a handful of pastel M&M’s or some organic jelly beans for a sweet treat.
Depending on the sex and age of your child include some EOS lip balms. The containers even look like an egg and come in great springtime flavors like Summer Fruit and Honeysuckle Honeydew.
If allergies aren’t a problem add nuts, granola and trail mix to the basket. There are lots of healthy offerings on the market or make your recipe and call it Bunny Trail Mix.
Go for the real deal. There is still nothing better than spending time together as a family dying Easter eggs. Have colored pencils, glitter and stickers on hand to personalize each egg.
Bunnies love carrots so add a couple small packs of baby carrots and a container or two of hummus or low-fat dressing for dipping.
After church and Easter dinner when the adults are relaxing, give the kids some fun brain teaser puzzles, crosswords or word search books. Many available this time of year have seasonal themes.

We here at Ellis Dental would like to wish you a Happy Easter!

Dentist Approved Easter Treats

Leave the Ears on the Easter Bunny