Christmas food and teeth
Christmas is one of the most popular holidays of the year, many people around the world celebrate it together with their families and friends. and usually at this time people gather around the holiday table and enjoy festive meals. Alas, holiday meals and snacks are not always good for the teeth. Let’s figure out how to make our holiday table safe and healthy for our oral health.
WHAT FOOD TO AVOID AT CHRISTMAS
Caramel and toffees
Caramel contains a lot of sugar, often softens when eaten and, like toffee, sticks to teeth in hard-to-reach places. In addition, it takes a decent amount of time to eat caramel, and all the while your teeth are at the mercy of destructive bacteria and acids.
Candy Canes
The effect of candy on the teeth is similar to caramel, but they have another unpleasant feature: they are very hard, so they can leave microcracks on the enamel. And microcracks not only increase the likelihood of future cavities, but also reduce the strength of teeth, making them more fragile and vulnerable.
Sugary and Carbonated Drinks
The main reasons why soda is bad for oral health are its high acidity and high sugar content. Acids leach calcium from hydroxyapatite, a mineral that is the basis of tooth enamel. As a result, the enamel loses its strength and becomes prone to erosion and tooth decay.
Rough, abrasive food
This includes a variety of snacks, wafers, cookies, crisps, and chips. When you chew them, you risk scratching the enamel. It is, of course, the hardest tissue in the body, but its strength is not absolute. The scratches will happily harbor caries bacteria.
WHAT FOOD TO EAT
Turkey
Turkey is not only a traditional Christmas favorite, but one of the healthiest meats rich with protein and with mild content of fats as well. Turkey meat contains calcium, fluoride and vitamins A, B, D, which helps strengthen bone tissue, teeth and nails.
Cheese
We all know that cheese contains Calcium, which is quite useful for teeth. But above that, this dental-healthy snack shifts your pH toward alkaline, protecting your teeth from caries. So it would be a good idea to keep some space for cheesy snacks on your Christmas table.
Tea, especially green tea
Tea is a good source of fluoride, and therefore if you drink green tea without sugar, you can strengthen tooth enamel and protect against cavities.
Nuts and seeds
For example, almonds, hazelnuts, peeled sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds. They are rich in vitamins and minerals such as calcium and magnesium. Certainly, they must be natural or toasted, but not sweetened with honey or sugar.
Do not forget to have a dental check-up after holidays!