With the winter holidays approaching, you may be enjoying many scrumptious treats that satisfy your sweet tooth. While these goodies certainly taste good and may add to the holiday spirit, the sugar they contain can be damaging to the teeth. When sugar is consumed by the bacteria that live in our mouths, the sugar is turned into cavity-causing acids.
You should be aware that some holiday treats are worse for the teeth than others. Our dentistss and team happy to suggest sweets to avoid, or to enjoy in moderation.
Candy Canes
Candy canes are everywhere during the winter holidays. They are used as decorations, given as gifts, and used to stir hot cocoa. Unfortunately, these festive sweets are among the worst for your teeth because they have such a high concentration of sugar.
Hard Candies
Hard candy, like peppermint, dissolves slowly in the mouth. This gives bacteria access to sugars for an extended period of time. Hard candy can also be harmful to the teeth if you have a tendency to bite into them. Biting hard candy can crack or otherwise damage the teeth.
Chewy, Sticky Candies
Caramel is an example of a chewy, sticky holiday sweet. Chewy candies tend to stick to the teeth, so they can stay in the mouth for a long time. This is an issue because this gives bacteria plenty of time to feed on the sugar and damage the teeth.
Other Sweets
Other holiday sweets to be wary of are hot cocoa, apple cider, and eggnog. These festive beverages contain lots of sugar.
For more information and to set up an appointment with our dentistss in Blaine, Minnesota, we invite you to contact Ling Family Dentistry today at 763-784-1993.