Foods that are Bad for Teeth During the Holidays

For most, Halloween signals the beginning of the holiday season for bad food for teeth. However, it is not just the Halloween candy that should be kept to a minimum during the fall.

According to Chittenden Dental, October, November, and December are loaded with starchy, sugary, sticky, and acidic foods that are best kept to a minimum or out of reach completely.

According to your dentist in Burlington, everyone tends to enjoy more forbidden foods, including fruits, yes fruits, during the holidays.

Below are some foods that Chittenden Dental recommends steering clear of during the holidays.

1. Citrus Fruits Can Be Bad for Teeth

Unless you eat your citrus as part of a meal, you are risking damaging the enamel on your teeth. Tangerines, Kiwi fruit, oranges, tomatoes, grapefruits, limes, and lemons will eventually erode your teeth.

While citrus is a must for a balanced diet, Dr. Mike Morris recommends that you eat an orange or Mandarin with the rest of a meal. If you do indulge and have a piece of fruit, rinse with water after eating.

2. Hard Candy Can Damage Teeth

You may love butterscotch, peppermint and other hard candies, but did you know they could damage healthy and restored teeth? Sucking on hard candies keeps that syrup on your teeth. Sugar converts to bacteria eating away at the enamel on your teeth.

Instead of hard candy have some fruit yogurt, as calcium is good for your teeth. You won’t have to worry about cracking a crown either.

3. Chewy Foods are Yummy but Dangerous

When you think of fall, you think of caramel apples. Sadly, those delicious caramel covered fruit favorites will pull at your restorations. If you have porcelain veneers, you know how dangerous it is to bite into an apple. Add caramel to the mix and you will eventually lose that veneer.

Sticky taffies and other chewy candies along with sticky and chewy dried fruit are best left for someone else to enjoy.

4. Cookies Cakes and Other Starchy Foods

Loaded with starchy foods buffet tables are bad for teeth. From fruitcakes, Christmas cookies, banana, and cranberry breads to crackers, pretzels and potato chips, starchy foods are tough to get rid of. If you enjoy a bag of chips rinse with water after eating to help get rid of some of the starch.

Starchy foods stay on the backs and between your teeth. Once your saliva mixes with the starch it converts to bacteria and tooth eroding plaque.

Regular Checkups are Essential

While it may be tough to avoid holiday parties, you can say no to bad foods for teeth. Staying away from starchy, sticky, and chewy foods saves your waistline and your teeth from a new year of regret.

If you can’t remember the last time you scheduled a dental appointment, call and make one with Chittenden Dental. Your teeth and gums will thank you for it.

Call for a dental checkup in Burlington today.