As a loving parent, you do your best to make this time of year magical for your child. You’re building traditions that they’ll remember and share with their children someday. If you’re like most families, food is an important part of the festivities. While you want everything to be perfect, you should also be concerned about your child’s health, and the holidays are stuffed with foods that can lead to cavities. In this post, you’ll learn what some of these foods are and how you can protect your child’s precious smile.
Holiday Foods That Can Hurt Smiles
While some of the cavity-causing foods may not be surprising, others may shock you. For instance, stuffing does not contain much sugar, but it is high in carbohydrates, which are broken down into sugars, fueling harmful bacteria in your child’s mouth. You need to be aware of things that could harm them! Here are just some of the foods that could damage their smile this holiday season.
Candy Canes
Although candy canes are among the most favored candies this time of year, basically any hard candy can be damaging to your child’s teeth. Instead of being chewed and swallowed right away, this type of candy sits in the mouth, prolonging teeth’s exposure to sugar. The bacteria use that sugar in your child’s mouth to create eroding acids, leading to a cavity.
Baked Goods
For many families, it doesn’t seem like the holidays unless you smell something in the oven. Unfortunately, whether you’re baking cookies or pies, most of these favorites aren’t necessarily beneficial for your child’s oral health. Baked goods tend to be highly sugary and full of carbs, which make the bacteria happy but not teeth.
Dried Fruit
At first glance, dried fruit seems like a good idea. After all, it’s fruit! However, with the moisture taken out, dried fruit has a much higher concentration of sugar. Dried fruit also tends to be very sticky and stay on teeth longer than fresh fruit, so you may want to rethink giving your child a slice of fruitcake.
How to Keep Little Smiles Safe
Although staying away from these foods entirely would be the simplest way to preserve your child’s teeth and gums, it’s not very practical. These snacks and treats are everywhere this time of year, and—let’s face it—they’re delicious.
Fortunately, there are things you can do to allow your child to enjoy the holidays and their favorite foods and reduce the risk of decay. These preventive actions include the following:
- Choose only one or two sweet treats per day in small portions.
- Provide fresh fruit instead of dried fruit or candy.
- Time eating sweets soon after mealtime, when they naturally salivate more.
- Drink plenty of water, especially after eating carbs, sugary foods, or candy.
- Make sure they brush their teeth twice and floss once per day.
- Take them to see the pediatric dentist for regular checkups and cleanings.
Although the lights, glitter, and treats can put a smile on your child’s face, remember that keeping their teeth protected from cavities will enable them to keep smiling long after the holidays are over.
About the Author
As a board-certified pediatric dentist, Dr. Lily is an active member in the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, Southwestern Society of Pediatric Dentistry, Texas Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, and is a Diplomate of the American Board of Pediatric Dentistry. In addition to being kid’s specialist in Garland, Dr. Lily is also the mother of a little boy who takes up most of her free time. If you have questions for getting through the holidays with a healthy smile, you can contact Dr. Lily at Shiny Smiles Pediatric Dentistry online or by calling the office at 469-925-0861.