Healthy Thanksgiving Tips that Will Keep Your Teeth Happy

Thanksgiving is a time to enjoy good food with your loved ones. However, one should always practice caution before indulging in their favorite dishes. Thanksgiving meals are often sugary and starchy, which can leave your teeth open to cavities and other dental issues. Listed below are a few healthy Thanksgiving tips that you can follow.

Brushing and Flossing Regularly

You’ll want to make sure you brush and floss your teeth after every meal on Thanksgiving. If you eat sticky foods, like chewy candies or sweet pies, you should brush your teeth immediately afterward. Sticky foods are especially good at trapping sugars against the surface of your teeth, where they can bond with the bacteria in your mouth and produce an acid that will attack your tooth enamel. By brushing right away, you can reduce the potential damage these foods can cause.

Not Going Nuts Over Turkey

If you typically avoid nuts, you may find that it’s more difficult to pass on them at Thanksgiving. But if you do eat a few, don’t beat yourself up about it. The occasional handful of nuts won’t cause severe damage to your teeth. However, you may also want to avoid sticky, chewy sweets like caramel and taffy that can cling to your teeth and attract bacteria that can cause cavities.

If you do get a cavity or other tooth-related problem over the holidays, be sure to reach out to your dentist to schedule an appointment as soon as possible. Ideally, you should visit the dentist every six months for a professional cleaning and checkup. This will keep your mouth healthy in between your visits and help to lower your risk for tooth damage.

Avoiding Sticky Sweets

Candy and caramel are sticky foods, and as they break down in your mouth, they adhere to your teeth and gums, creating the perfect environment for food particles to linger. Bacteria feed on these leftover bits of food and release acids, which eat away at your tooth enamel and cause tooth decay. If you love a good piece of candy or a caramel apple at Thanksgiving, then follow these tips for preventing cavities on your teeth.

Eat sweets with a meal or right after it. This helps reduce the harmful effects of sugars on your enamel by washing them away with your saliva.

Stay Hydrated

Drink a glass of water after eating sugary foods. Water helps wash away leftover food particles, which will reduce your risk of cavity formation.

Brush and floss your teeth after you eat. This will help you remove any lingering food particles from your mouth and also reduce the amount of bacteria that can cling to your teeth.

Use Mouthwash

Use a fluoride mouthwash to further strengthen your enamel. Fluoride treatments help restore minerals to your enamel that have leached away due to the foods and beverages you consume.

Schedule a consultation with Dr. Kossi, DDS, at Smile City Dental in Santa Clarita, California, to learn more tips for maintaining a healthy smile. You can reach us by calling (661) 252-8888, scheduling an appointment online, or visiting us at 19366 Soledad Canyon Rd, Santa Clarita, CA 91351 now.