It’s the most wonderful time of the year! Holiday festive usually includes eating, drinking, and celebrating – but it’s important to do these things cautiously. This year not only do we need to follow social distancing guidelines, but we also need to be more careful with the foods that we’re eating. Many of the foods and drinks we love during the holidays aren’t the best for your dental health.
We want to ensure that all our patients bring the new year in with their pearly whites intact, so we created a gift guide to help with this!
Foods to Limit During The Holidays
Eggnog: I know we’re starting off strong with eggnog, and it may be delicious and a festive treat during the holidays. But, the cream, sugar, and alcohol are a recipe for tooth decay. Alcohol dehydrates you, so your salivary glands don’t function to the best of their ability. Saliva rinses our teeth to help keep them clean and free of sugar and bacteria. The thick blend of cream and sugar clings to your teeth, and the sugar in the eggnog feeds the bacteria so they can corrode the teeth.- Caramel: This food is sticky and sugary, I’m sure you can imagine how damaging it is to your teeth. The sticky goo works its way into the crevices in your mouth where it helps the bacteria in your mouth thrive.
- Candy Canes: We know you can relate when we explain that candy canes create a sticky film on your face when you eat them. The sticky film also goes onto your teeth, and the sugar can do some serious damage to your pearly whites.
- Carbonated Drinks: On top of the sugar in your champagne and soda, the carbonation itself poses a threat to your teeth. Carbon dioxide is used during the carbonation process, and when you ingest this ingredient, your saliva converts it into a type of acid that is corrosive to your teeth.
Eggnog: I know we’re starting off strong with eggnog, and it may be delicious and a festive treat during the holidays. But, the cream, sugar, and alcohol are a recipe for tooth decay. Alcohol dehydrates you, so your salivary glands don’t function to the best of their ability. Saliva rinses our teeth to help keep them clean and free of sugar and bacteria. The thick blend of cream and sugar clings to your teeth, and the sugar in the eggnog feeds the bacteria so they can corrode the teeth.Foods to Indulge in This Holiday Season
- Turkey. Enjoy all the turkey you want this holiday season! Turkey is loaded with tooth-healthy phosphorus.
- Nuts: Nuts are rich in calcium and offer the bonus of manually scraping plaque off of your teeth as you bite in. This is a holiday snack you’ll want to enjoy.
- Veggies: Veggies are great to enjoy all year round, but they definitely come in hand around the holidays. They require a great deal of chewing so veggies increase your saliva production, which we know helps rinse acid and bacteria out of your mouth.
- Cheese: Cheese is high in calcium and boasts antibacterial qualities and low pH balance. All these factors make this a great choice for your smile.
Contact Us Today
We know that the holidays are about sharing your favorite treats with your loved ones. So it’s okay if you can’t say no to one of our “bad foods” this holiday. Just be sure to follow it up with a thorough brushing 30 minutes after. After the holidays is a great time to go get a professional cleaning. South Springs Dental Group is currently accepting new patients, so contact us today!