What Are Some Holiday Foods That Require Caution?

Stuffing with honey ham and cranberry sauce, Christmas cookies, and eggnog with ice cream – there sure are some terrific tasting foods during the holiday season. Usually, with great taste comes great responsibility, as many items that wow your taste buds can scare your teeth.

Keep reading to learn about some holiday foods in Royse City that should be avoided, or at least enjoyed in moderation with proper oral hygiene, from your dentist. After Santa peruses this blog post, maybe he’ll request one of his cookies be replaced with a second glass of milk.

Dried Fruit

Don’t make the mistake of thinking dried fruit and fresh fruits are one and the same when it comes to your teeth, simply because they both taste good. It can stick to your enamel similarly to gummy candy, which fuels cavity-causing bacteria. Fruitcake is often a source of dried fruit during the holidays. The reason fresh fruit isn’t always better is that something very acidic like a lemon, for example, is also hard on your enamel.

Eggnog

The name is a bit strange, but people who enjoy eggnog can consume quite a bit of the sugary beverage during the holidays. Alcohol is no picnic for your tooth enamel either, but eggnog is the main concern in that regard. A sugar-free gin and tonic is much more tooth-friendly if you are looking for some holiday spirits.

Candy Canes

Fair or not, candy canes get to be the representative of all the hard candies of the holidays. The double whammy with hard candy is that it has all the sugar concerns for your teeth, but it adds the threat of cracking a tooth if it is bitten into once too often. All candy is not created equal, as your dentist would love to see you turn your attention toward dark chocolate.

Stuffing

You may refer to this side dish as dressing depending on where you grew up, and of course, the real key is its location relative to the turkey. This item might seem to be a surprise inclusion in a dental blog but consider that stuffing is primarily made from herbs and a starch such as bread. Just like sugary foods, starchy items promote the growth of anaerobic bacteria which feed on the sugars that starches are broken down into. The bacteria secrete acid as they metabolize the sugars, hence the problem for your tooth enamel.

Cookies

Hopefully, Santa kept reading down to this section, as cookies and other sugary baked goods can take a toll on your enamel, especially if you don’t follow up with a trip to the bathroom for brushing afterward. Even swishing some water around in your mouth can remove some food particles and slow the efforts of harmful bacteria. There are going to be a lot of opportunities to indulge in cookies and other desserts around the holidays, so try your best to exercise moderation with such things.

In fairness to these foods, they are but a few of the many holiday treats that you need to be mindful of. The best thing you can do is not to have too many of these items if you have them at all and remember that brushing your teeth after having sugary or starchy foods makes a huge difference for your oral health.

About the Practice

At Brush Dental, we believe that having healthy teeth cannot be a set goal that you reach and then you’re done – it’s about a lifetime commitment. We’re here to partner with you and your family in that journey as we work toward your best smiles. We welcome a variety of dental insurance plans, CareCredit financing is available, we maximize Medicaid and CHIP benefits, plus we have an in-house savings plan – the Brush Dental Wellness Club. We know how difficult it can be to make wise food choices during the holiday season. We’ll be here to help you start the New Year strong with a dental cleaning and exam. To make an appointment, visit our website or call (469) 723-4000.