With the holiday season approaching quickly, this means an onslaught of sweet, starchy, and high-carb foods will soon be coming your way. Though your teeth may not be your main focus this holiday season, consuming the wrong foods and drinks can do a lot of lasting damage to your oral health. Read on to learn about five holiday foods and drinks that can damage your teeth and some tasty, tooth-healthy treats you should have instead.
#1: Dried Fruit
Since dried fruit is sticky, this makes it difficult to wash away. Paired with its sweetness, this means it provides a food source for harmful oral bacteria for an extended time, which raises your chances of developing tooth decay.
#2: Candy
Candy canes, butterscotch, and other hard candies are made up almost entirely of sugar. Additionally, they contain a lot of high fructose corn syrup, a sweetener made from corn starch that pulls minerals from the teeth. This makes the teeth weaker and more susceptible to cavities.
#3: Eggnog
Eggnog is packed full of sugar, and it also comes in alcoholic varieties. Alcohol dries out the mouth, which allows oral bacteria to thrive. The bacteria cling to the tooth enamel and feed off of the sugar in eggnog. As a result, it attacks your tooth enamel and makes your pearly whites more likely to decay.
#4: Stuffing
During digestion, carbs are converted into sugar. This means that carb-heavy foods like stuffing ultimately harm your teeth in the same way that sweets do. Foods that have a high level of starch in them also promote the growth of bacteria, so stuffing can do a lot of damage to your oral health.
#5: Baked Goods
Baked goods are full of both carbs and sugar. This means that they offer oral bacteria a holiday feast and give them ample opportunities to wreak havoc on your oral health.
What to Eat Instead
Though the above foods aren’t good for your oral health, there are plenty of tasty holiday foods and drinks that will allow you to enjoy the season to the fullest, including:
- Soft peppermint patties, peanut butter cups, and other sugar-free candies
- Sugar-free alcoholic beverages like a gin and tonic
- Roasted veggies like broccoli and carrots
- Lean meats like chicken and turkey
- Fresh fruit like pears and apples
- Leafy greens like spinach
- Fish and seafood
With the above in mind, you should be able to make it through the holidays without leaving your oral health in shambles. It may be hard to skip the cookies, but it will be worth it for your smile to remain healthy and beautiful!
About the Practice
At Archway Dental, Dr. Deval Parmar and her talented team of Frisco oral health professionals aim to provide their patients with an exceptional office experience from the moment they walk through the door. They are experts on all things oral health and can provide tips and advice on how to keep your smile healthy this holiday season. Do you want more information on how to make it through the holidays without ruining your oral health or to make an appointment with Dr. Parmar? Visit Archway Dental’s website or call their office at (972) 972-4646 to get started.