Enjoy the Holidays Without Tooth Decay or Orthodontic Issues
The holiday season is here, and for many this is a time for rest, relaxation, feasting, and celebration with family and friends. The celebratory spirit is what makes the season special, but it is also important to keep your children’s dental health in mind amidst the revelry. This season is bursting with food choices which increase the risk for tooth decay and other dental emergencies, so we at Growing Smiles Children's Dentistry feel that it is important to offer a few reminders which can keep the season both sweet and safe for you and your children.
Sugary Foods
Sweet foods such as candy, cookies, cakes and pies abound during the holidays, and can be difficult for anyone to avoid. When you eat sugary foods or drinks, naturally occurring bacteria in the mouth feed on the sugar and create acids as a by-product. These acids then wear down the tooth enamel, weakening it and making it more susceptible to tooth decay and a wealth of other problems, including gingivitis. Snacking on sweets throughout the day or during an extended period of time is especially harmful, since damaging acids form in the mouth every time you eat a sugary snack and continue to affect the teeth for at least 20 minutes afterwards. Moderation along with consistent brushing and flossing can combat the effects of these foods.
Foreign Objects
The gift-giving season approaches, and for most young children(and some adults!), chewing on anything handy is simply irresistible. Ensuring that your child is not at risk for orthodontic damage through exposure from gifts in the form of hard, non-edible objects is crucial. These items may not only chip, crack, or erode teeth enamel, they can also damage Invisalign trays or break braces brackets as well.
Hard Foods
Partaking in a hard crust pizza, bagels, hard pretzels, dinner rolls, or other hard foods could also end in cracked enamel or orthodontic damage. In the case of braces, even though the brackets are molded onto teeth, the adhesive does have its limits. In addition to hard foods, hard candy is plentiful this time of year, but resisting the urge to splurge can save much pain and money. Limitations can be especially difficult for parents of children with braces, but making a sacrifice or providing a substitute is well worth avoiding a mishap.
Sugary Beverages
Drinks filled with sugar or carbonated soft drinks often contain phosphoric acid that can cause enamel staining and cavities. For kids with braces, this can result in staining around braces, resulting in multi-colored teeth. Those using Invisalign run the risk of letting sugary residue on Invisalign trays develop bacteria.
Sticky Foods
When eating sticky food, one runs the risk of getting food bits stuck in the teeth and under braces. This can result in tooth decay or cavities if left unattended. Foods to avoid include caramel, Starbursts, taffy, Tootsie Rolls, Skittles, and other sticky treats. Sticky food tends to be a real mess for both patients and orthodontists. Little food bits will bury themselves anywhere and everywhere. Even people that limit themselves to one treat could be leaving themselves at risk for serious dental complications.
Foods and Drinks to Enjoy
There are many foods available during the holidays aren't only okay for both children and adults to eat, but are encouraged (in moderation, and barring particular circumstances) by dentists:
- Sugarless chewing gum (use depending on the age of the age of the child) increases saliva flow, which helps keep teeth clean. Sugarless chewing gum is ideal, as gums with sugar can build up plaque around teeth.
- Spicy foods can contain important nutrients and vitamins. Just remember to brush well after eating spicy dishes.
- Holiday vegetarian dishes can be healthy choices, and can provide a boost to the immune system. This can also be very beneficial for gum health.
- The best food choices for the health of your mouth include cheeses, nuts (depending on the age of your child and barring any existing orthodontic work), and milk. These foods are thought to protect tooth enamel by providing the calcium and phosphorus needed to remineralize teeth (a natural process by which minerals are redeposited in tooth enamel after being removed by acids).
- Other food choices include firm/crunchy fruits (for example, apples and pears) and vegetables. These foods have a high water content, which dilutes the effects of the sugars they contain, and stimulate the flow of saliva (which helps protect against decay by washing away food particles and buffering acid).
- The best beverage choices include water (especially fluoridated water), milk, and unsweetened tea.
A Trip to the Dentist After the Holidays
Whether you and your child are able to follow all of these dental tips or just a few, a trip to Growing Smiles after the holiday season for a dental checkup is also recommended. Growing Smiles Children's Dentistry, provides the high quality dental care to patients from infancy through adolescence, including those with special health care needs. A thorough checkup and is a great way to ensure that your child is maintaining their dental health with minimal tooth decay through a sweet holiday season!