Woop! Woop! It’s the fun police, here to tell you why you should stop enjoying your favorite holiday treats!
We’re kidding, of course. As dedicated as we are to the virtues of oral health and dental hygiene, we wouldn’t want to live through Thanksgiving and Christmas without pie, cake, cookies and Jell-O (Utah’s official state snack, as it rightly should be).
So here’s all we’re asking: Be aware of which holiday foods and beverages are worst for your teeth. If you don’t consume less of them, at least resolve to take proper compensatory measures after enjoying them (namely brushing and flossing).
Candy Canes
A candy cane becomes extremely dangerous once it has been licked to a needle-sharp point.
That’s not what we’re concerned about, though. Candy canes are also deceptively sweet. Despite tasting so minty, they are about 40% sugar by weight. Several species of bacteria living inside your mouth love turning sugar into acid – the reason why all candies are harmful to teeth.
And it only gets worse, because candy canes are also hard and crunchy. It’s fun to bite down on them, but doing so can crack, chip or break your teeth.
Stuffing
Oh no! Say it ain’t so! Surely Great-Aunt Abigail’s famous turkey stuffing isn’t bad for your teeth, too? We hate to break it to you, but all carbohydrate-rich foods are. That’s because saliva contains amylase. It is an enzyme that converts starch into maltose: a sugar formed by two linked together glucose molecules.
Sorry for all the organic chemic chemistry talk. We just mean to explain why all starchy foods – including ones made from wheat, rice, oats, and potatoes – can lead to tooth decay.
Eggnog
Ah, eggnog. The closest you can get to a drinkable pancake. It’s hardly a year-round treat (no one reaches for nog on a 100° day), but it’s still one that deserves extra caution. Just one cup contains 0.7 ounces of sugar!
To its credit, eggnog is also rich in dairy. The cow’s second greatest gift to humanity strengthens tooth enamel, and also helps neutralize the acids which dissolve it.
Soda
When it comes to oral health, soda is a double whammy. As you already know, it’s rammed full of sugar. One cup of Sprite contains 1.55 ounces of sugar, which is more than you are advised to consume in a single day.
To make matters worse, soda is highly acidic. It contains carbonic acid, phosphoric acid, malic acid and citric acid. All of these are corrosive enough to permanently damage tooth enamel. Once that protective layer has been stripped away, the exposed dentin is at severe risk of cavities.
Remember Your Teeth This Holiday Season
Sugar. Carbohydrates. Carbonation. These are the three things to avoid if you value your dental health. But if you haven’t chosen to abstain from all culinary delights this holiday season, you can still avoid cavities (and even bigger problems) by brushing and flossing after each treat.
Are you looking for even greater defense against tooth decay this holiday season? If you live in the greater Logan, UT area, then we encourage you to contact All About Teeth today to schedule a teeth cleaning. We’ll help you avoid cavities by removing all that sticky, acidic plaque before it forms into tartar!
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