Tis the season to be jolly with Christmas just a few days away. It’s a special time for everyone to get together and enjoy the festivities of the Christmas season. Whilst it’s likely to be a little different this year with only a limited number of households allowed to spend time together, what will definitely stay the same (apart from the size of the turkey) is the food and drink.
At this time of year, we tend to indulge more in food and drink than we normally would but it can, unfortunately, have harmful effects on your oral health. It’s not just our weight that we should be looking out for this Christmas, so in our latest blog post we’ll look into 5 Christmas foods bad for teeth and why you should look to limit or even avoid them.
A festive tradition is warming yourself with some mulled wine and many of us are accustomed to have it maybe after our meal or just after a long walk. Whilst it can warm your insides, the issue with mulled wine is the main ingredient. Wine can stain the teeth but the beverage itself also contains high amounts of sugar too.
Orange tends to also be added to mulled wine adding extra acidity due to its citrus qualities. Ultimately, mulled wine can make you vulnerable to teeth staining, tooth decay and dental erosion.
Sugar or Candy canes and Christmas are like peas in a pod at this time of the year, fitting together perfectly. However, these are one of the traditional sweets you should look to avoid as they can be extremely bad for teeth. They can take ages to eat which means sugar will be lingering around your mouth and coating your teeth in the process. This can increase your risk of cavities and erodes your teeth enamel.
Teeth enamel acts as a protective layer for your teeth, so you’ll want to keep this intact as much as possible. The hard nature of these sweets can also make your teeth prone to chipping or coming loose.
Many Christmas recipes contain dried fruit, whether it’s mince pies or Christmas pudding. Whilst these can sometimes be considered a healthier option compared to the sweets and treats that might be floating around, they can still be harmful to teeth. This is because they contain high levels of sugar and can easily stick to your teeth.
If you do happen to have dry fruit in the day, it can be helpful to chew sugar free gum or drink water shortly after eating the fruit.
You may have to think twice about pouring yourself a cup of eggnog or having hot cocoa for Christmas. Similar to other items on this list, this is mainly down to the sugar content contained in the beverages.
As alternatives to these beverages, pour yourself a glass of water, milk or some unsweetened hot green or black tea as a healthier option. Tea helps to kill the bacteria in your teeth whilst the milk contains plenty of calcium to keep your teeth healthy.
Caramel is essentially made with sugar, formed into a gooey substance. It can be a complimentary ingredient to foods such as popcorn or Christmas cookies but it’s considered one of the worst foods for your teeth. It can cause cavities and wear away the tooth enamel that protects your teeth.
The last thing you want to be doing this Christmas is coming out of it with poor oral health or taking a trip to your dentist because of a chipped tooth. To ensure you can have a healthy Christmas that keeps your teeth intact, avoiding the foods above can help go a long way to achieving this. If you have any queries specifically about your oral health, you can contact us here at Dental Solutions to arrange an appointment.
