With Thanksgiving just around the corner, wouldn’t it be great to make it through the day without needing to make an appointment with your emergency dentist? It can be difficult to refrain from eating holiday treats like cookies and cakes, but it’ll be worth it to keep your smile healthy and cavity-free. To help you maintain a mouth full of bright, beautiful pearly whites, here are five tips to help you have a healthy Thanksgiving in Hamden.
Tip #1: Limit Snacking
The types of foods we eat can hurt our smiles, but so can the amount. When we eat, this changes the pH levels in the mouth and causes the environment to become more acidic. The increased acidity puts our teeth at a higher level for cavities and tooth decay. When you spend the entirety of Thanksgiving Day snacking, this means your teeth are continuously exposed to these harmful acids. To prevent this, eat only during a designated mealtime to lessen acid exposure.
Tip #2: Avoid Sticky Foods
Marshmallows, caramel, and other sticky foods are hard to remove from your teeth and oral appliances like braces. This means harmful oral bacteria can feed off of them for an extended period of time and release tooth-damaging acids. Additionally, these sticky treats may even dislodge crowns, fillings, or dentures. If you decide to indulge, make sure to follow up with a glass of water or by brushing your teeth to wash away food particles.
Tip #3: Cut Back on Sugar and Carbs
Sweet and high-carb foods like mashed potatoes, pastries, rolls, and stuffing give oral bacteria plenty to feed on. Carb-heavy foods break down into sugar, so they can damage your teeth in the same way as desserts. Protect your teeth by cutting back on or completely cutting out cakes, pies, and other sugary or carby treats.
Tip #4: Be Selective with Your Drinks
Alcoholic and sweet drinks like wine and eggnog can do serious damage to your teeth. Alcohol dries out your mouth and breaks down tooth enamel. Combined with the negative effects of sugar, this means bad news for your pearly whites. To protect your teeth from decay, opt for water or sugar-free beverages instead.
Tip #5: Be Wary of Hard and Sharp Foods
Popcorn, nuts, chips, and other hard foods can stab your gums, get caught between your teeth, become lodged in your dental restorations, chip your pearly whites, or weaken your enamel. If you choose to eat these or other hard or sharp foods, follow up with dental floss nearby to remove any debris stuck between your teeth or gums.
Though your oral health may not be at the front of your mind this Thanksgiving, it’s important to make sure you protect your mouth from harm all year long. This will allow you to keep oral health issues at bay so you can enjoy a mouth full of healthy teeth and gums during the holidays and beyond!
About the Practice
At D’Andrea and Pantera DMD PC, we take pride in providing the residents of Hamden with the trustworthy, effective, and comfortable dental care they deserve. We offer a number of exceptional services to help keep oral health issues from developing. If you do happen to encounter a bump in the road, we will administer prompt treatment so you can get your smile back on track. If you’re interested in making an appointment or have questions about how to keep your mouth healthy this Thanksgiving, call our office at (203) 288-0951 or visit our website for more information.
