Thanksgiving is just around the corner, and while it’s time to celebrate and be with family, it’s always important to take good care of your smile. Common ingredients and treats that you may typically enjoy during the holiday could impact your oral health, like sugary desserts, increasing the chances that you’ll have to end the festivities early for an unexpected trip to the emergency dentist. Read on to learn about three types of foods that you’ll want to steer clear of this Thanksgiving and how you can keep oral health problems at bay.
Too Many Sweets
If you’re like most other people during Thanksgiving, you’re probably diving into the dessert table to enjoy some pumpkin and pecan pie and cookies. While there’s nothing wrong with satisfying your sweet tooth, it’s important that you don’t do it excessively throughout the holiday break. This is because harmful bacteria love feeding off of carbohydrates and sugars, and in return, they produce waste in the form of acid that can erode enamel and lead to cavities and eventually tooth infections if the decay is left untreated!
Excessively Chewy or Hard Foods
If you have restorations like cavity fillings or dental crowns, one way to end up in your emergency dentist’s treatment chair is by chewing on something that’s excessively hard or chewy, like a caramel apple, that can damage the restoration. As a temporary fix, you can try to place the filling or crown back on your tooth using toothpaste as an adhesive, but it’s important to have it professionally replaced to prevent additional issues from developing.
Wine, Liquor, & Beer
While drinking wine, liquor, and beer won’t necessarily land you in the emergency dentist’s treatment chair, alcohol can wear away the adhesive on restorations and bonding. So, if you have a bonded tooth or veneers, to keep an accident from happening, it’s best to make sure you don’t overindulge on alcohol.
How Can You Keep Your Smile Healthy Over the Holidays?
If you find yourself in a dental predicament during your holiday festivities, be sure to call your dentist immediately to schedule an appointment and keep additional harm from coming to your smile. The best way to keep your teeth and gums safe is to be proactive and avoid these three Thanksgiving foods and drinks that could harm your smile. To take it one step further, you could schedule a checkup and cleaning before the holidays to ensure your oral health is on the right track!
About the Practice
At Vason Family Dentistry, we have a team of three compassionate, friendly dentists who are always ready to serve their community. They offer top-tier preventive dentistry to help patients keep their oral health in shape as well as a variety of specialized treatments to address a wide range of dental problems. For questions or to schedule a checkup and cleaning before the holidays, visit our website or call 404-367-9799.