Give Thanks For Healthy Teeth and A White Smile

Fall is the time for pumpkin-flavored everything, apple picking, and leaf raking. It also means Thanksgiving is right around the corner. Spending time with family and cooking a Thanksgiving feast is one of the ways many people kick off the entire holiday season. There are many choices for food and drinks during around this holiday and some of them are definitely better for your teeth than others!

Food Choices Matter

The foods and beverages you choose on Thanksgiving can affect your smile. Keep in mind that drinks like coffee, red wine, and sodas may all stain tooth enamel. The sticky, sweet concoction of pecan pie can easily stick in your teeth so avoid altogether or brush thoroughly after eating. Be sure to flush your mouth with water after eating cranberry sauce- that red juice is delicious but could stain tooth enamel!

If you have children with dental work, like braces, or elderly grandparents with dentures coming to Thanksgiving, keep in mind what they may or may not be able to eat. Corn on the cob might be delicious for those with strong, healthy teeth, but herb and b utter corn kernels are a way for the whole family to enjoy this side dish.

If you’re attending Thanksgiving at another house and not making the entire feast on your own, consider taking a green salad as one of your contributions. So rarely can you find raw vegetables on a Thanksgiving table. They are often covered in condensed soup and baked with crispy onions, boiled and mashed with butter and salt and served with thick gravy, or baked and covered in sugar. Encourage your children to eat a serving of salad and have one yourself. It will help you maintain portion control when faced with the gambit of delicious foods.

Avoid Refined Sugar

While all those desserts are tempting, try to stay away from the refined sugar. Fill up on the veggie side dishes and healthy proteins instead. An extra slice of turkey in place of another slice of pie will help your waistline and your teeth. If it’s just not Thanksgiving without a slice of pumpkin pie, rinse your mouth after eating to clear away the sugars that may cause cavities down the road.

There are many traditional Thanksgiving foods that typically have sugar added to them. With a little research, you can find recipes where sugar is reduced or even eliminated. For example, traditional baked yams, or sweet potatoes, often have a lot of brown sugar and marshmallows added. Yams are actually very sweet on their own when they are ripe, so be sure to pick good ones, halve, or eliminate, the brown sugar, and skip the marshmallows. Your family and friends will never know the difference.

After enjoying your Thanksgiving feast, be sure to brush and floss and make sure your kids do, too! Practicing good dental hygiene daily is important and Thanksgiving is no different! With the added potential for consuming sugar in pies, drinks, and unexpected places like salad dressings, gravies, and condiments, this is an especially important day to brush and floss thoroughly.  A cavity makes a terrible holiday gift!

Now is a great time to schedule your next cleaning!

Image: Basheer Tome

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