Thanksgiving is the tastiest day in the whole month of November. Across the country, friends and relatives gather together to share a feast while they call to mind all the things they have to be grateful for. While the traditional spread is full of foods that can delight the whole family, some of the fare usually found at the table isn’t the best thing for your dental health. Here are three tips from your dentist to keep your Thanksgiving dinner tooth-friendly so your teeth will be just as healthy for next Thanksgiving.
Skimp on the Starch and Sugar
A few traditional side dishes and desserts include mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, cranberry sauce, and pumpkin pie. While these are known crowd-pleasers at the dinner table, they are also high in starches and sugars. Sugar is one of the worst things for your teeth because it feeds the oral bacteria that cause tooth decay and gum disease. Even if a dish isn’t particularly sweet, starch breaks down into sugars that these germs love to feast on. Enjoy these dishes moderately and drink plenty of water while doing so to help wash any residue away from your teeth.
Watch Your Wine Intake
Red and white wine are popular beverages for special occasions. Unfortunately, wine is high in acid and pigments, and sweet wine also has a high sugar content. In addition to the harm that sugar can do to your teeth, the acid in wine will begin to break down your enamel as soon as it makes contact with them. To make matters worse, the pigments wine contains can leave your smile stained or discolored. Enjoy these spirits in moderation and alongside a tall glass of water to help wash it away from your teeth.
Do You Love Your Smile? Have No Bones About It!
Turkey is low in sugar and high in protein and phosphorus, making it a pretty healthy food for your teeth. However, your teeth are not built to chew on bones. Biting down on or even scraping your teeth against a bone can cause cracks, chips, or enamel erosion. When you’re enjoying your turkey, be careful to keep your teeth away from the bones by cutting the meat from them and chewing it carefully.
The chewing process unlocks much of the juice and flavor inside the food you eat. This Thanksgiving, appreciate everything your teeth do to make your feast enjoyable and be sure to follow up the meal with a thorough round of oral hygiene.
About the Author
Dr. Jennifer Reed earned her Doctor of Dental Surgery from UNMC College of Dentistry in 1991 and began practicing dentistry in 1993. She is a proud member of the American Dental Association, the American College of Prosthodontists, and the American Prosthodontic Society. Her office in Lincoln, NE offers preventive, restorative, and cosmetic dentistry. For more information on keeping your teeth healthy, contact her office online or dial (402) 488-5007.
