Tis’ The Season To Be Tooth Conscious

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xmastoastThe Christmas season is a great time to show off your pearly whites. However, it’s also the time you consume foods and beverages that are not friendly to your teeth. Many of the foods and beverages offered at Christmas gatherings are high in sugars and acids making it easy to eat too much sugar and drink too many beverages that can affect your teeth negatively.  In today’s blog we would like to remind you: tis’ not only the season to be jolly, tis’ the season to be tooth conscious.

Tooth-Friendly Foods

There is usually a variety of foods to choose from at holiday party tables. If so, try to choose the foods that benefit your body and teeth the most. Such foods include:

  • Fruits: Fresh, crisp fruits such as apples and pears help clean your teeth and keep your mouth fresh.
  • Cooked and raw veggies: Either cooked or raw, carrots and broccoli both contain vitamin A which helps strengthen tooth enamel. Other vegetables eaten raw such as celery and cauliflower massage your gums encouraging blood flow, and clean your teeth.
  • Cheese: Not only high in calcium for tooth and bone strength, cheese balances the PH in your mouth reducing the effects from acidic beverages such as wine.
  • Nuts: Nuts contain several vitamins and minerals that help keep your teeth and gums healthy.

What To Avoid

You all know sweets should be avoided including fudge, cookies, cakes, and hard candies, but certain drinks should be avoided as well:

  • Fizzy drinks: Fizzy, carbonated drinks are high in sugar and acids. Sugar-free and diet drinks are also problematic because what they don’t have in sugar they make up for in acidity. Acidic beverages can erode your tooth enamel.
  • Wine: White wine is highly acidic and can contribute to enamel erosion. Red wine is both acidic and can stain your teeth.

 About your Des Moines Dentist

The Gateway Dental Group provides comprehensive dental treatments including general, cosmetic, and restorative dentistry. As a member of the American Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine, Dr. Burds also has extensive experience helping his patients suffering from sleep disorders obtain restful sleep via oral appliance therapy. You can contact Dr. Stephen J. Burds office at 515-442-5659. We welcome patients from River Bend, Kirkwood Glen, East Village, and neighboring communities.