How to Make Your Thanksgiving Tooth-Friendly

Thanksgiving is only a week away, so you’re likely finishing your prep work for the holiday. Perhaps you’ve booked a flight to see relatives, or you decided to host meals at your home. Whatever your situation, though, remember your oral health amid these finishing touches. Lots of feasting is soon to happen, so you’ll want to ensure you don’t get cavities or worse! Luckily, your dentist in Midland can help you out. Here’s a summary of four dental care tips that will make your Thanksgiving tooth friendly!

Lay Off the Sweets

While sweet potatoes, pumpkin pie, and cobbler are tasty, don’t eat much of them this Thanksgiving. Such foods are jam-packed with sugar, which attracts enamel-eroding bacteria. That being the case, these dessert items can easily cause tooth decay, cavities, and worse.

If you struggle with your sweet tooth, fill up on lean proteins and leafy greens instead of starches. They’re sugar-free and have nutrients that protect and strengthen teeth.

Drink Less Wine

Having wine with your Thanksgiving meal is natural, but try not to go overboard with it. This alcoholic drink is very acidic, meaning it can break down the enamel on your teeth. Furthermore, wine has a lot of tannins — compounds that can easily stain your teeth a dark color. If you drink too much of it, your holiday smile might look red instead of white!

Consider drinking water or a beverage with less acid and sugar as an alternative to wine. You could also rinse your mouth with water to wash away the alcohol’s acids and tannins.

Avoid Hard, Sharp Foods

Your family might dole out chips, nuts, popcorn, and other hard treats during Thanksgiving meals. However, you should avoid these foods due to their oral health effects. They often break down into hard and sharp pieces that stab gums, get stuck between teeth, or wedge into dentures or braces. Therefore, it’d be better if you found some other snack to have before your next dinner.

Don’t “Graze” a Lot

How much and how often you eat on Thanksgiving can also affect your smile. When you have extra food throughout the day or “graze,” you continually expose your teeth and gums to plaque that causes dental problems. As such, you should try to stick to set eating times instead of chowing down at all hours. If and when you do snack, it’d also be best to brush after doing so.

As you can see, having a tooth-friendly Thanksgiving can take some effort. Even so, your smile will thank you for following the tips above!

About the Author

Dr. Laura Philipps is a dentist based in Midland, TX, having earned her DMD from Tufts University. Since dental school, she’s studied at prestigious institutes and received state-of-the-art training in several fields of dentistry. Thanks to that background, she specializes in preventive, cosmetic, and restorative treatments, not to mention dental emergency care. Dr. Philipps currently practices at her self-titled clinic and is reachable on her website and by phone at (432)-570-4433.