Protect your teeth at Thanksgiving dinner!

With the Thanksgiving holiday just around the corner, we know you’re ready for the day’s candy, pie, and cookies! While these sweets are easy to enjoy for the day, be sure to continue your oral health care routine to preserve your smile as we embark on the most wonderful time of the year.

Does this mean that you should forgo eating all of the sugary sweets you love this year? Of course not! Tooth enamel, or the outer protective covering of your teeth, is the strongest substance in the human body but over time it can erode away and lead to cavities and other tooth complications. One of the ways this erosion can occur is following ingestion of sugar in some foods which collect on your teeth and in your gums. Bacteria in your mouth thrive on this sugar and slowly eat away at the enamel.

The good news is that there is an easy solution for this problem, and while brushing/flossing is one of the most effective ways to keep your teeth healthy, other methods can be effective in the case there is not a sink available. Rinse your mouth out with water after you eat to wash some of the sugar away, or chew sugar-free gum to lower the acidity in your mouth. If you are eating a lot of sugary or acidic foods, it is best to use a high fluoride toothpaste to give extra protection to your teeth.

If you have any other questions about your oral health or want more tips on protecting your mouth, contact the team at Artistic Touch Dentistry today.