Like all holidays, Thanksgiving is a time when friends, family, and loved ones come together to celebrate, often over a hearty feast. However, holidays can also be a hazardous time for the teeth because a lot of festive foods can wreak havoc on them. For example, foods such as cookies and pies are laden with sugar, and other treats like bread rolls, cranberry sauce, and stuffing are high in carbohydrates. Foods like these can do some serious harm to the teeth, but there are some simple measures you can take to ward off cavities without entirely foregoing a healthy helping of pecan or pumpkin pie.
Tips for Looking After Your Teeth at Thanksgiving
- Make sure the meals you eat are well-balanced. This means that meals should have a combination of protein, vegetables, and carbohydrates. This will help neutralize some of the acid that gets produced when bacteria and sugar combine in the oral cavity. Furthermore, raw carrot and other hard, crunchy vegetables are good for cleaning your mouth because they rid it of any food debris that clings to the teeth.
- Keep sticky, sugary foods to a minimum. This food group includes cookies, pies, candy, and stuffing. Foods like these often lodge in the grooves of the teeth, which means they remain longer in the mouth and increase the possibility of tooth decay.
- Be careful about grazing. This may well be one of the most essential pieces of advice offered here. As well as allowing harmful foods to remain in the oral cavity for longer, your saliva will not have chance to act as a neutralizer. Hence, acid will remain in your mouth all day, giving bacteria the chance to attack tooth enamel without hindrance. It is easy to wander around a party sipping drinks and nibbling snacks, but each of these items create acid. Try to spend part of Thanksgiving Day without eating to reduce the possibility of cavities.
- Be prepared. If you are going to be spending Thanksgiving away from your own home, even just for the day itself, don't forget to take a travel toothbrush with you. If you don't get chance to brush straightaway after eating, use some water to rinse your mouth in order to get rid of as much food debris as possible. This will also have the effect of neutralizing acid to some extent. Remember to bring along some floss too – you should also use this after meals.
Conclusion
By taking heed of this simple advice, it is entirely possible to indulge in all your favorite Thanksgiving treats without compromising the health of your teeth and gums. Now, all that remains is for you to enjoy the Thanksgiving holiday! Talk to your dentist, such as Clendenon Kirby DDS, for more information.
