Thanksgiving is a time to enjoy the company of family and friends, and of course a whole bunch of delicious food. We want you to come out of the holiday with lots of fun memories, not worse dental problems, so we’re here to offer you some tips on what Thanksgiving foods to stay away from. Passing up these four Thanksgiving foods can help you prevent a cavity, and even avoid making an existing one worse until you can receive professional treatment.
Cranberry Sauce
This acidic condiment is often loaded with sugar, which doesn’t do your teeth any favors. If you can’t avoid eating some this holiday, try to make a version yourself so you can control the amount of sugar going into it.
Fruit Cake
Sure, fruit sounds healthy enough but dried fruit actually contains a high proportion of sugar, much more than what’s in their fresh forms. On top of that, dried fruit is naturally a bit sticky, which means there’s a greater chance residual sugary particles will remain on your teeth and have more time to feed your oral bacteria.
White Rolls
It’s not just sugary candy that can lead to cavities! Simple carbohydrates, like white bread, and white pasta, and white rice easily become food for the bad bacteria in your mouth. That means you should be careful with starchy foods like white dinner rolls.
Soda
When it comes to preparing a Thanksgiving spread for a large group of people, it’s common to have a few liters of soda to choose from. But these sugary, acidic drinks are a no-no for your teeth. We recommend sticking to water instead, which won’t dissolve your enamel like soda.
Questions? We Have Answers!
Even with avoiding these four Thanksgiving foods, you can see that there’s still plenty else to pile up your plate with. If you have any other dental-related questions this holiday season, our team here at Farmington Dental and Orthodontics is here to help you have superb oral health.