How You Can Protect Your Teeth While Enjoying Holiday Treats

The holidays bring their fair share of extended family members and decorations but that’s hardly the only thing you can expect during the colder months of the year. It also means foods that you don’t normally have decide to make an appearance on your family’s dinner table and kitchen counters, including cookies, cake, pie, hard candies, chocolates, and other foods containing a ton of sugar. While the foods themselves play a role in harming your oral health, other habits can also increase your risk. Learn what they are from a dentist and how you can protect yourself ahead of the holidays!

The Biggest Cavity Culprits

As if getting over Halloween wasn’t already hard enough, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hannukah, and other holidays in the winter months bring tons of baked goods packed with high amounts of sugar and starch. The sugar in these foods gets broken down by oral bacteria after consumption, which in turn create plaque acids as a form of waste. This acid sticks to teeth and collects over time, turning into plaque and tartar that cause cavities.

However, many people don’t realize that how you eat food can have just as much of an impact on your oral health as what you eat.

Snacking Throughout the Day

Whether you’re eating sweets throughout the workday or munching on leftovers from your last big family dinner, you should keep in mind that eating constantly rather than in separate meals can put additional stress on your teeth and gums. This is because your mouth isn’t given a chance to produce enough saliva to neutralize bacteria and clean food debris from your teeth. If you want to avoid a higher risk for cavities, breaking this habit ahead of the holidays is crucial.

Sudden Changes to Your Routine (Going on Vacation)

Another commonly overlooked habit is sudden changes to your oral care routine, which generally occurs when you’re traveling. It’s easy to forget your toothbrush (and therefore not brush your teeth the whole time you’re on vacation) or stay up too late and heading straight to bed without practicing your dental due diligence. Oral hygiene matters no matter where you’re sleeping for the night.

Healthy Tips to Take Ahead of Time

By keeping the following tips in mind now, you can reduce your risk of developing any dental problems ahead of the new year:

• Always keep a toothbrush and floss on you when traveling (consider bringing portable mouthwash as well)
• Drink water while you eat, especially if you are eating throughout the day
• Eat more foods that aren’t as harmful to teeth, including turkey, mashed potatoes, milk, yogurt, carrots, squash, pumpkin, onions, spinach, cheese, nuts, and similar foods
• Opt for desserts known for containing less sugar, such as dark chocolate and gingerbread cookies
• While cranberry sauce can be a great condiment, try to avoid it (and other richly-pigmented foods) if you want to prevent stains on your teeth

The holidays are a wonderful time to be with family but you don’t have to sacrifice your oral health in the process. Be sure to schedule a checkup with a dentist today to ensure no underlying problems are present with your smile!

About Wayland Dental

The dentists of Wayland Dental always put prevention first when it comes to dentistry. Routine exams, cleanings, and other dental services are the best way to give yourself peace of mind when it comes to your oral health this holiday season. To schedule an appointment, you can contact their office through their website.