Dental
Halloween may have come and gone, but the holiday season is just starting. Thanksgiving is right around the corner, and neither Christmas nor New Year’s are far behind it. Given this fact, you’ll need to be extra careful of how holiday foods affect your teeth. These items could ruin your smile and cause a dental emergency if you aren’t careful. You don’t want such a thing to happen during the holidays, right? Thankfully, your Lincoln dentist can help prevent that outcome. Here’s a summary of four festive foods you should lay off during the next few weeks.
Stuffing
Stuffing is a Thanksgiving classic, despite being little more than old bread and herbs. Unfortunately, it’s also surprisingly bad for your teeth.
The issue is that stuffing is mainly made up of carbs. As such, it’s a starchy dish that prompts the growth of harmful oral bacteria. This bacteria, in turn, will erode your tooth enamel if left unchecked. It’s also likely to cause plaque formation, leading to cavities.
To protect your teeth, try to limit the stuffing you eat and find “mouth-healthy” alternatives.
Sugary Baked Goods
As you’d expect, sugary baked goods — cookies, pies, cakes, etc. — damage teeth. After all, they have tooth-eroding sugar! That being the case, these items put you at increased risk of cavities, tooth decay, gum disease, and other oral health problems.
Given this fact, try your best to exercise moderation with sweets. Otherwise, your pearly whites will surely suffer.
Dried Fruit
If you’re like most, you might think fruit is always good for you. Well, that isn’t true; the fact is that dried fruit tends to hurt your teeth.
The challenge stems from dried fruit being sticky. Due to this trait, it sticks to your teeth all day and thus has time to attract cavity-causing bacteria. Plus, fruit still has a decent amount of natural sugar, even if it isn’t processed.
You’d be better off avoiding dry fruits this season if you can. Instead, opt for fresh ones — these would be easier on your teeth!
Candy Canes
Candy canes are sweet and a staple of Christmas festivities. However, they’re one of the worst holiday treats for teeth.
Candy canes are basically pure sugar. They’re almost entirely made of sucrose — table sugar — derived from sugar cane or sugar beets. They also have fructose corn syrup, a modified starch. Needless to say, all this sugar can lead to cavities and tooth decay. Therefore, only eat them sparingly.
As you can see, you should be careful of holiday foods as the year ends. That being said, don’t overindulge in the items listed above.
About the Practice
Parks Family Dental is based in Lincoln, NE. Headed by Dr. Wesley Parks, our practice combines professional care and a personal touch. As such, we perform customized preventive, cosmetic, and restorative dentistry, as well as emergency dental care. Whether you need a dental checkup or crown, our office can take care of it! For more information or to book a visit, you can reach us on our website or by phone at (402)-484-6042.