It’s the most wonderful time of the year! Of course, you want to eat, drink, and celebrate – but do so cautiously! Not only do we need to abide by social distancing guidelines this year’s holiday season, but we need to be careful with what foods we eat! Many of the foods and drinks we love during the holidays aren’t the best for your smile.
We want to ensure that all of our patients bring in the new year with their pearly whites intact, so we created this guide to help you choose healthy foods during the holidays.
Foods to Limit During The Holidays
Eggnog: Eggnog may be delicious 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. The thick blend of cream and sugar clings to your teeth, and the sugar in the eggnog feeds the bacteria so they can run wild and corrode your teeth.- Caramel: You probably can imagine how this sticky, sugary food is damaging 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: I’m sure you can relate when we say candy canes create a sticky film on your face when you eat them. This sticky film also is going onto your teeth, and the sugar can do some serious damage to your pearly whites.
- Carbonated Drinks: In addition to the sugar in champagne and soda, the actual bubbles pose an issue. 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: Eggnog may be delicious 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. The thick blend of cream and sugar clings to your teeth, and the sugar in the eggnog feeds the bacteria so they can run wild and corrode your teeth.Foods to Indulge in This Holiday Season
- Turkey: This holiday staple is loaded with tooth-healthy phosphorous. Enjoy!
- Nuts: This is a perfect, nutrient-rich snack. Nuts are rich in calcium and offer the bonus of manually scrubbing plaque off of your teeth as you bite in.
- Veggies: Although veggies are great all the time, they can definitely come in handy after you’ve finished eating. Since they require a great deal of chewing, 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
When it comes down to it, it’s the holidays, and we know that sharing favorite treats with loved ones is a special part of the season. If you need to eat one of our “bad foods” during the holidays, that’s okay. Just be sure to follow it up with a thorough brushing 30 minutes after. After the holidays is a great time to get a professional dental cleaning. Appletree Dental is currently accepting new patients, so contact us today!