It is finally November, and Thanksgiving is just around the corner! Aside from eating delicious food and spending time with family and friends, a major feature of this time of year is tons of pictures. And if there is a time you want a great smile, it’s during these photo-frenzy times.
That’s why Bridge Creek Dental is here with eight dental tips to help you keep your smile bright and your teeth healthy this Thanksgiving.
1. Be Aware Of Acidic Foods And Drinks
There is a variety of foods and drinks served during Thanksgiving that are highly acidic, such as cranberry sauce, wine, coffee, and other consumables. Not only does the acid in these foods and drinks erode the enamel on your teeth, but most of them can stain your teeth.
While you can always have your teeth whitened, it may be easier to just cut back on acidic foods and drinks. If you do want to enjoy them, try to be sure to break up your consumption with bites of other foods and sipping on water. Also, post-meal, wait for a half-hour to brush your teeth so that your teeth can recover from the acidity before brushing.
2. Keep An Eye On Sugar Consumption
Thanksgiving feasts almost always feature an array of delectable desserts. Problem is, the amount of sugar usually found in the pies, cookies, brownies, and other treats that make up a dessert table is staggering. Loading up on sugary Thanksgiving desserts can court cavities, as sugar residue on your teeth attracts cavity-making bacteria.
Practicing portion control can help reduce the sugar load, as well as brushing soon after you finish eating. Also, choosing less sticky desserts is a good idea, especially if you aren’t able to brush your teeth soon after.
3. Lower Your Servings Of Starches
Heavy servings of starches are a mainstay of most Thanksgiving spreads. Everything from yam casseroles to loaded mashed potatoes represents large servings of starches, which quickly breakdown into glucose—aka, sugar.
Much like with our sugar consumption advice just above, portion control will be your best defense against.
4. Grab More Veggies And Turkey
Aside from the turkey, it can be tempting to either skip the veggies completely or just take enough to quiet a slightly guilty conscious. However, if you want to take care of your teeth this Thanksgiving, you should load up on vegetable options and turkey.
Leafy green vegetables are good sources for calcium, which can help strengthen your teeth. As for colorful veggies like bell peppers, eggplant, squash, and others, these vegetables are also very mineral- and vitamin-rich, which can help support your oral health as well as your overall health. As for the turkey, this popular seasonal fowl has phosphorus, which will combine with calcium and vitamin D to help strengthen your teeth.
5. Make Healthy Substitutions When Possible
It can be easy to follow your favorite recipes to the letter, but if possible, you may want to make healthy substitutions when possible.
For instance, you can replace some or all of the sugar in a recipe with sugar substitutes such as xylitol. You can also cut down on butter and oil in recipes with unsweetened applesauce or Greek yogurt.
6. Drink Plenty Of Water
Sipping on water throughout your Thanksgiving feast, and other various holiday parties can provide you with a variety of benefits, such as:
- Helping to rinse food and sugar residue off of your teeth.
- Keeps your mouth moist and helps produce saliva to breakdown food.
- Works to keep you from over-eating.
7. Avoid The Temptation To Graze
During the holiday season, there is usually plenty of food to snack on all throughout the day, sometimes every day, as there are bowls of candy at the office, baked goods at home, at dessert when you visit friends. But, when you graze, it leaves food residue on your teeth, particularly in the crevices of your teeth.
So, while those turkey-shaped sugar cookies are adorable and tempting, try your best to say no to snacking. Or, at least carry a travel toothbrush to help clean your teeth after you indulge.
8. Keep Your Dental Appointments
Last but not least, if you have a dental appointment this month, we strongly encourage you to stick to it. While the holiday season can become busy and a bit stressful, you and your family’s oral health can be better supported by keeping dental cleaning appointments.
If you need to make a biannual cleaning appointment to keep your teeth healthy, please contact us today. We look forward to helping you keep your oral health in top shape this holiday season!