It’s the holiday season again. This time of the year, I feel like I am being pulled in two different directions! On one hand, I love the holidays and family time. On the other hand, I am already hearing all the holiday sweets calling my name. I try to resist, I really do… but somehow, I always get sucked into eating that sugar-filled goodness.
Trying to resist the goods is a tough feat, but if you avoid the worst offenders, your next visit to the dentist will go much smoother.
Sticky sweets are by far the most guilty culprits because saliva and ordinary drinking doesn’t easily wash away their residue.1 Hard candies and other sweets that dissolve slowly in the mouth are also no-nos: the longer sugar is present in mouths, the longer teeth are exposed to acid.2
A good compromise is to indulge in some chocolate. Chocolate melts quickly and is the safest choice for your teeth. Limiting candy intake to a piece or two per day is also a good practice.3
To make sure caramel, peanut brittle and other clingy substances don’t set up shop in the crevices of otherwise healthy teeth, try to brush after eating sweets. You can also reach for some gum to help stave off decay. Although it may seem strange to pop even more chewy stuff after a candy bender, sugar-free gum containing Xylitol actually helps prevent cavities by fighting acids from sugary foods and stimulating the flow of saliva.1
1. http://oralhealth.deltadental.com/Search/22,DD108
2. http://www.ada.org/4856.aspx
3. http://www.trickytreats.org/
Photo Credit: Parties 4 Me