Thanksgiving is a time to gather with
family and/or friends and think about all of the things we are thankful for.
Unfortunately, for teeth, oral bacteria can really take a toll on our dental
health. While we sit around the table, or on the couch watching football, we
tend to graze on whatever deliciousness that we find around us. While we do
this, bacteria called Streptococcus mutans,
or S. mutans, plans a huge battle on
tooth enamel. This type of bacteria thrives on sugars from foods like red wine,
casseroles… most likely anything you can find on Food Mountain that’s
surrounded by a gravy mote. The tiny microbes actually eat the sugar and leave
behind acids that damage tooth enamel. One thing that our teeth can be thankful
for on Thanksgiving is the foods that help your teeth stay strong. Some of the
following examples are foods that you can incorporate into your Thanksgiving
feast:
-
Milk. The “Superman” of drinks
for your teeth is milk. While it does contain a higher amount of fat, it, along
with other dairy products can provide your teeth with calcium to make them
stronger and whiter. If you’re not a milk drinker, drink water as much as you
can. This will help to flush harmful sugars and bacteria.
-
High-fiber fruits and veggies. Vegetables that are high in fiber can actually
help your mouth to flush out harmful bacteria. By eating things such as
carrots, pears, and apples, your mouth will naturally create more saliva,
therefore, washing out and neutralizing acids that attack enamel.
-
Unsweetened Cranberries. Cranberries actually contain enzymes that
prevent glucans from forming, thus, preventing the S. mutans to do their damage. But be careful, this holiday favorite
comes with a catch. A lot of cranberry products found in the grocery store are
loaded down with sugars that counteract the benefits.
-
Hard-boiled eggs. Eggs are beneficial to the teeth because they
are lower in sugar and high in protein; but watch out for the deviled eggs.
Sometimes the delicious yellow center can contain sugars that are devilish for
your teeth.
-
Celery and hummus. Celery is crunchy and requires a lot of
chewing. This, in turn, provides a natural cleaning for your teeth. Even the
annoying little fibers that get caught in between the teeth act as natural
floss. Pair celery with a delicious, healthy dips like hummus and add it to the
table for grazing.
-
Natural Popcorn. Popcorn is a huge hit in the grazing arena.
It is a sociable snack and also provides nutrition for your health as well as
your teeth. The calcium and phosphorous in popcorn provides valuable minerals
that help build the teeth. That being said, you should avoid popcorn if you
have braces.
While healthy snacks can play a big part during the
Thanksgiving season, it is improbable to think that we won’t eat foods with
sugars in them. To keep the damage at bay, try to avoid nibbling on sweets and
food all day. If you do, make sure you eat and drink things that promote saliva
flow. This will prevent the build up of sugars and bacteria and neutralize
acids formed by bacteria.
Patrick Toms DMD
is a leading Gainesville, GA dentist who proudly offers a full-range of dental
services to families in the North Georgia area.
I like the idea of making popcorn. The kids will like to eat it while watching the Thanksgiving Parade on TV. Thanks for the tips on healthy treats
ReplyDeleteThanks, Maria! We hope you and the kids enjoy the yummy treats!
DeleteThank you for sharing. This is very helpful and Happy Early Thanksgiving!
ReplyDeleteHappy Thanksgiving to you, too!
DeleteThank you for sharing this! I have 4 girls 12 and under and dentist trips are a task especially if they have cavities! I try to buy healthy as much as I can but its hard to keep the sweets out of the house lol even harder with a husband who loves sweets! =)
ReplyDeleteLove hummus. Thinking about serving it this year.
ReplyDeleteknickgirl_3 at yahoo dot com
Ashley and bxcrochet, thanks for the comments! We hope you enjoy the ideas and find them useful!
ReplyDeletethanks for sharing i have a 14 and 10 year old girls and im always tring to find more healthy teeth friendly snacks denise smith
ReplyDeleteThanks, Denise! Glad we could help.
ReplyDelete