There is a lot to be thankful for, and Dakota Dental wants to make sure their patients can be thankful for healthy teeth. Dakota Dental provides a list of good and bad foods that end up on your Thanksgiving table, and gives advice on how to enjoy Thanksgiving without hurting your teeth.
Before even getting to the Thanksgiving meal, appetizers and festive holiday drinks can already do serious damage to teeth. Sugary sodas and mouth-drying alcoholic drinks feed bacteria and decreases the amount of saliva in your mouth, creating a perfect environment for enamel-eroding acid and tooth decay.
Appetizers like candied nuts should be avoided – they get stuck between teeth and cause oral health problems like cavities. Sticking to veggie trays, cheese plates and water are all ways to keep teeth happy before a Thanksgiving meal.
As for the Thanksgiving meal itself, sides like yams and mashed potatoes and gravy have health benefits like being rich in vitamins A and C and potassium, but their starchiness (and any marshmallow topping that’s added to yams) give bacteria a Thanksgiving feast of their own. Bacteria produces acid that wears away the enamel on teeth.
Cranberry sauce and pumpkin pie are other foods that should be taken in small amounts. The sugar content, coupled with the stickiness and acidity in cranberry sauce, cause these foods to stick to teeth and contribute to causing cavities.
The good news is that there are many Thanksgiving favorites that are good for your teeth. Turkey is full of protein and is low in sugar, and green bean casserole has health benefits from the green beans, onions and mushrooms that are in it. As long as people are careful to eat in moderation, brush their teeth, and floss after a big Thanksgiving meal, their teeth should be in good shape.
For more information on taking care of your teeth and tips on preventive dental care, contact the family dentists at Dakota Dental. Dakota Dental can make sure patients have a perfect smile all through the holiday season. Call to make an appointment today.
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Dakota Dental
14682 Pennock Avenue
Apple Valley, MN 55124
952-431-5774
www.dakotadental.com