This Holiday Food Is Better Than That One

A guide to making better choices with holiday food with regards to your teeth!

Food is a huge part of any holiday celebration. It is wonderful to sit down to a dinner with friends and family and share stories about the year. However, holiday feasts often have a number of foods that are awful for our mouths. While you don’t need to give up these foods entirely, by replacing them with other seasonal treats we can make our mouths happier.

Holiday Drinks: The Bad: Apple cider is a seasonal treat that many people enjoy warm in the cold months of winter. However, these drinks are often packed with sugar, you mouth’s nemesis. An apple cider from Starbucks is loaded with over 60 grams of sugar making its teeth rotting capabilities high.

Instead Try This: Eggnog takes more effort than apple cider to find, but that extra effort is worth it. A typical glass of eggnog contains 20 grams of sugar, still not great for your teeth but far better than the 60 you would find in apple cider. As long as you enjoy eggnog in moderation you will make it through the holiday season without creating new cavities.

Candies: The Bad: Candy Canes are a staple of many households around Christmas time. They were first created to represent a shepherd’s crook, but these iconic candies are tough on the teeth. They keep your teeth bathed in sugar while you slowly eat them, and if you decide to bite into one they have been known to chip teeth or at the very least stick to molars.

Instead Try This: York Peppermint Patties are better for your teeth for a few reasons. Three of the bit sized ones (let’s be realistic nobody can eat just one) contain 33 grams of sugar, which is a lot. However, because they are not sticky, all of this sugar does not stay in your mouth for as long as it does when you eat candy canes or caramel treats. If you combine your Peppermint Pattie fix with other food, it becomes an even better indulgence because the extra saliva produced will wash away any excess sugar.

Cakes and Pies: The Bad: Fruit Cakes sound like they should be better on your teeth than normal cakes because fruit is generally a great snack to munch on. However, the fruit in fruit cakes has been candied, which means it is soaked in sugar and turned into a sticky mess, and sugar sticking to teeth for long periods of time is one of the top reasons cavities are formed.

Instead Try This: Any other type of cake or pie. While you need to eat them in moderation because pies and cakes contain a lot of sugar, as long as you don’t overindulge they can be enjoyed without causing cavities. My favorite holiday pie is gingerbread, there is just something about molasses that I really enjoy.

Dr. Potts is a gentle, caring dentist who uses the most advanced materials and procedures available. He practices comfortable, health-centered dentistry, with a strong emphasis on getting to know each patient. In addition to his technical proficiency, Dr. Potts is a careful listener. He makes sure to understand what you want and will explain beforehand what treatment is best for your individual needs, along with all options available to you. Check out our Twitter, Facebook page, and website.