Between Halloween and the holiday season, your children’s lives are filled with delicious treats. However, many of these treats, like sticky caramels and hard peanut brittle, are damaging for their teeth. The best tip is to choose sweets that don’t stick around. Treats that quickly dissolve have limited contact with enamel and are less likely to form cavities. Another essential tip is to always brush afterwards or rinse your mouth when brushing is not a possibility. Fortunately, we’ve come up with a list of holiday treats your kids can enjoy without hurting their smiles.
Soft treats
Whether it’s a cake, pie or brownies, soft foods are much easier on the teeth. Avoid hard candies like candy canes or sticky treats like taffy, as these foods can break the teeth and damage prior dental work like fillings and crowns. Always remember that your kids need to brush after eating sugary foods.
Dairy
Dairy products like cheese and yogurt can actually counteract acidic foods, protecting your kids’ teeth from tooth decay.
Fruit parfaits
Fruit, yogurt, whipped cream, nuts and granola are all great for your teeth, along with being a healthier option than processed white sugar.
Turkey
Turkey is non-fermentable and won’t stimulate any cavity-causing responses in the mouth. This holiday protein is full of phosphorus, which works with calcium to produce strong teeth.
Vegetables
Fibrous vegetables like raw carrots and celery are nature’s toothbrush. They remove plaque and contain a significant amount of vitamins and nutrients.