11/18/2024
Our Top Five Holiday Dental Tips
1. Keep Floss Handy
Of all of our Thanksgiving dental tips, this might be the most important! Thanksgiving feasts can be an all-day event, from yummy appetizers and the main course to desserts and even late-night leftovers. To protect your teeth from food getting stuck in between, floss each time after you eat to remove plaque buildup.
2. Be Mindful of Sticky Sweets
Pumpkin, apple, and mouth-watering pecan pie—sadly, these classic holiday dishes are terrible for your teeth. Avoiding or limiting sticky, sugary sweets will prevent harmful bacteria that cause tooth decay.
If you do indulge in a bit of sweets, rinse your mouth with water afterward to remove sugar and prevent it from sticking to your teeth and gums!
3. Fill Up on Protein & Vegetables
We all love comfort food, but starchy side dishes, such as stuffing or dinner rolls, can harm oral health. Like sugar, starch sticks to your teeth and helps feed acid-producing, cavity-causing bacteria. Instead of loading up on mom’s famous mashed potatoes, fill your plate with turkey and vegetables, and think about cutting back on the gravy.
4. Grab an Extra Scoop of Cranberries
These traditional little berries can help delay tooth decay because they contain polyphenols. Polyphenols are known to help ward off harmful bacteria that can cause cavities.
5. Limit Wine at Dinner
Wine’s acidity can not only stain teeth, but it can also weaken your tooth’s enamel. Enamel plays a vital role in protecting our teeth from decay, and once it’s gone, it’s gone for good! Therefore, we want to protect it by limiting (or avoiding) highly-acidic foods and beverages. Plus, nobody wants to be in the family photo with stained red Thanksgiving teeth.
