Who doesn’t love all the amazing side dishes served at Thanksgiving? Mashed potatoes, deviled eggs, honey-glazed carrots, stuffing, and green bean casserole are the staples for many families, but as delicious as they are, do you know which ones are the worse for your oral health? While filling up your plate this holiday season, a dentist in Westminster explains which foods you should avoid if you want to keep your smile free of cavities and gum disease this year.
Sweet Potato Casserole
From the sweet yams and brown sugar to the toasted marshmallows, you might find it difficult trying to resist scooping up a large batch and piling it high on your plate. But if you want to minimize the potential for tooth decay and cavities, you’ll bypass this dish and opt for something less sticky. Loaded with sugar, sweet potato casserole can easily stick to your teeth and create a breeding ground for bacteria, which can begin to eat away at your tooth enamel and create cavities. If you simply must have this dish at the dinner table, opt for a recipe that ditches the marshmallows and sugar and instead, enhances the flavor of the naturally sweet potatoes.
Stuffing
What goes best with turkey? Stuffing, of course! Unfortunately, this timeless classic contains large amounts of starch, which is another substance bacterium loves to feed on. Because stuffing is often packed full of carbohydrates, it can stick to teeth just like sugar, effectively breaking down tooth enamel and causing dental caries. If scheduling a visit with your dentist for a filling or dental crown after the holidays doesn’t sound like your idea of fun, try swapping out the bread in your stuffing for beans. Not only are they healthier, but they are full of protein and fiber, both of which are great for your overall health.
Cranberry Sauce
Whether you prefer to make your own or enjoy the canned, gelatinous substance, cranberry sauce is a must-have at every dinner table, but it’s also filled with lots of sugar. Offering no protein or fiber whatsoever, a single can of cranberry sauce has more than 120 grams of sugar alone! As a result, you could be facing a costly and timely visit to your dentist’s office in the days and weeks following your Turkey Day feast. To minimize the amount of sugar used in your recipe, try using real, fresh cranberries that offer a natural sweetness.
Fruit Cake
If fruit cake isn’t necessarily the most popular dessert served at your Thanksgiving dinner, you may just want to avoid the sweets altogether, no matter what type of pie or cake it is. But if fruit cake is enjoyed by your family and friends, you may opt for something less sticky and sugary. Dried fruit might sound “healthy,” but the reality is that it can wreak havoc on your natural teeth by remaining in place for a long period of time, causing bacteria to feed and create cavities. Instead of fruit cake or another equally sweet dessert, try a crumble that uses the natural sweetness of the fruit instead of adding more sugar.
By keeping these helpful tips in mind this Thanksgiving, you can avoid a dental emergency and instead, spend your time surrounded by the family and foods you love.
About the Author
Dr. Joanne Bancroft and her team want you to have a wonderful Thanksgiving this year. Whether you are spending it with your immediate family or hosting a virtual event among friends because of COVID-19, you’re likely ready for the many great foods you’ll be preparing. But before you start baking, she recommends coming in for a regular checkup and cleaning and learning which foods to avoid if you want to keep tooth decay and gum disease far away. To find out special tips to keep your oral health in optimal shape this holiday season, contact us at (720) 458-6561.