Grinchy Goodies: Holiday Foods that Harm Your Teeth

The holidays are a time for joy, giving, and eating lots of delicious food as we celebrate with family and friends. Unfortunately, many festive treats can harm our teeth--some less obvious than others--and it's important to be aware of certain holiday foods that harm your teeth.  

Popcorn

The upside of popcorn is that it’s lower in fat than most holiday fare. The problem is that popcorn kernels can easily become stuck in your teeth and gums. This encourages bacteria growth, which can lead to problems for your mouth. Sugary varieties of popcorn, such as caramel and chocolate won’t help matters. Further, popcorn is one of the most common culprits of chipped teeth. Be careful, or this treat will take the fun out of your season quickly.

Processed carbohydrates

We typically pin problems on obvious troublemakers, like candy and other types of sweets, but be on alert for holiday party foods like crackers, potato chips, and bread. These and other soft, starchy foods can get trapped between teeth and stay there.  To make matters worse, enzymes in saliva transform complex carbohydrates into sugar, which creates acid and can lead to decay.

Dried Fruit

Dried fruit can be a healthy alternative to holiday candy and cookies. That is unless you're talking about dental health. Similar to other problematic foods, the fruit easily gets stuck between your teeth, but, due to its stickiness, has the potential to hang out there a lot longer and do more damage.  Dried fruit is very high in sugar, and when it takes up residence in your mouth, well...you know the rest. 

Candy Canes

Like most hard candies, candy canes are terrible for your teeth. While their minty sweet flavor is delicious, candy canes are full of sugar, and we all know that too much sugar can lead to cavities. When eating candy canes, you are filling your mouth with sugar for a long period of time, and then biting on the hard candy can harm your teeth. 

What Can You Do?  

Here are a few tips in your quest to maintain your dental health:

• Be aware of sugar and acid content in foods. Sugar feeds bacteria that occur naturally in the mouth, leading to lactic acid production and potential erosion of tooth enamel. Acidic foods, like sour candy—and even certain fruits—eat away at tooth enamel and cause decay.
• Drink water. For the times when you are unable to brush after eating, drinking or simply rinsing with water can lessen the risk to your teeth.
• Eat a balanced diet. Cheese and nuts provide calcium and vitamins that can help teeth. High-fiber foods like crunchy vegetables act as “nature’s toothbrush.”
• As always, make sure to brush and floss daily as a preventive measure.  

Keep your teeth nice and healthy this holiday season. Stick to healthy snacks and practice good oral health every day! Take it a step further and make a delicious holiday meal using our Solstice Cookbook! Download it for free by clicking the image below. 

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