The leaves are changing and jackets are fast becoming a necessity. Autumn is in full swing and that means the holiday season is about to begin. First on the list: Thanksgiving. It’s a holiday filled with family, friends, good times, and a whole lot of food. It’s all delicious but some of it can cause havoc with the health of your teeth and gums. Here are a few tips to keep in mind when enjoying yourself on Thanksgiving Day.
Stay Away from the Sticky Stuff
While sugary treats in general should be avoided some are worse than others. If you absolutely need to indulge your sweet tooth do what you can to stay away from stickier treats like jam cookies or pecan pie. The stickiness keeps the sugar on your teeth longer which can have a larger impact than less sticky sweets. Try and rinse your mouth with water as soon as possible when you’re not able to brush and floss immediately after enjoying all those special treats!!!
Don’t Graze
If your family is anything like most there’s usually a platter or two of snacks available long before dinner is served. Snacking here and there creates more harmful bacteria in your mouth and allows that bacteria to stay hard at work all day. Grab something resembling a lunch and hold out until dinner to give yourself time for your teeth time to protect themselves. Besides, you’ll enjoy your dinner more if you have room for it.
Keep Water Handy
Acidic drinks like wine or soft drinks are tempting especially when you’re enjoying yourself. Opt for water if you can as it can help wash your mouth of any leftover food particles or sugars. If you can’t, or don’t want to avoid harmful drinks, then you should keep water nearby anyway to drink along with them.
Bring a Brush
Just because it’s Thanksgiving doesn’t mean you give up your normal healthy dental routine. Bring a brush so you can get some of that turkey lodged in there out after dinner is over. And don’t forget to floss either!
Thanksgiving can be a great time and if you take the right precautions your teeth will be no worse for it. Then you’ll have one more thing to give thanks for. If you’ve had too much sticky sugars on your teeth and need to see a dentist, or have any other issues that need attending, contact us at Pickering Square Dental and we’ll be happy to help.
