Dental Tips You Should Remember this Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is the perfect time to reflect on everything we feel grateful for. It does not just mean creating a good bond with the family but also gathering around the yummy feasts. Most foods usually expose your teeth to damage.

Damaged or unhealthy teeth can make your thanksgiving experience poor. So, be alert about what you eat during the holiday. There are a few tips that the dentist in Pittston suggests this Thanksgiving Day.

How to Enhance Your Dental Hygiene During Thanksgiving?

Consider the following tips to prevent damage to our oral health during this famous holiday:

Restrict the Use of Sticky Foods

The consumption of sticky foods can damage the teeth more than you expect. These include pecan pie, cranberry sauce, etc. They stick to the teeth and create a breeding ground for the bacteria. If you take these foods, properly floss and brush your teeth, along with washing your mouth with water.

Have a Plenty of Water

Try to bring a lot of water throughout thanksgiving day. This healthiest beverage will help to loosen up the food bits from the teeth and wash them away. Drinking water also encourages the flow of saliva and prevents plaque development. It will ultimately allow you to fight cavities. Prefer fluoridated water because it nullifies the harmful acidic effects caused by a few beverages and drinks.

Shorten Your Meal Time

During thanksgiving day, teeth get continuously exposed to the acid that food produces. It increases the risk of tooth decay. Therefore, make sure you set a particular time for snacking and dinner.

Maintain a Perfect Oral Hygiene

Floss and brush your teeth half an hour after consuming food. You can carry a tiny pocket brush, floss, and toothpaste wherever you go on the holiday. It will help to effectively eradicate the food bits from the mouth.

Protect Your Teeth

Holidays are fun. But sometimes accidents can occur. For example, using your mouth to open bottles rather than a bottle opener can damage your teeth or braces. So, make sure you are careful about it. Otherwise, it would require you to see an emergency dentist near you.

Choose Well Balanced Meals

There are many healthy food choices available today, which are packed with different essential minerals and vitamins. For example, raw carrots are natural teeth cleaners. Also, turkey helps in the development of teeth. So, on Thanksgiving, aim to have a wide variety of rainbow-colored food on your plate.

Be Conscious When Having Starchy Foods

Starchy foods contain starch that turns into sugar. It’s the sugar that feeds the mouth bacteria. Starchy foods like mashed potatoes, cornbread, and dinner rolls are the silent killers of the teeth. The best way to consume them is to pair them with foods rich in protein and fiber.

Limit Snacking

Thanksgiving diets usually have high sugar content. Instead of sugar-based cookies and candies, prefer dried fruits, cheese, and other things healthy for your gums and teeth. It’s best to practice portion control when consuming sugary desserts and meals. You can follow it by washing your mouth with water.

Avoid Bright Colored Drinks and Foods

Bright-colored foods and beverages like wine, sauce, cranberry juice, etc. contain acid that can cause enamel erosion. It can also stain your teeth. That is why it’s best to restrict their consumption.

Chew Sugarless Gum

Chewing sugar-free gum immediately after having the meal will help you promote the production of extra saliva. It can also make your mouth free from tiny food bits when you have no access to brush and floss.

Fix a Cleaning Appointment After the Holiday

Even if you floss and brush daily, plaque and bacteria can develop. The best way to start the new year is to get a dental check-up and professional teeth cleaning at Polit & Costello Dentistry immediately after Thanksgiving. The dental expert will address the underlying dental problem that you may have developed over the holiday season and suggest a suitable cosmetic dentistry treatment.

Consider Healthy Beverages

Rather than having alcoholic drinks, coffee, or carbonated drinks, choose healthy drink choices. For example, green tea and milk. Black tea or green tea washes away the acid-containing in starchy and sugary food. However, milk has protein and calcium, which is good for your teeth.