While you’re enjoying your holiday festivities, there are certain foods and beverages you may want to leave off of your plate to avoid an extra trip to the dentist. Sugary food and candies with a hard or chewy texture can cause significant damage to your oral health. Make your dentist proud by following these do’s and don’ts of holiday snacking.

Do:

Munch on veggies.

Crunchy vegetables, like celery and carrots, are filled with nutrients, like Vitamin A, which is essential for building strong teeth. These fibrous snacks also remove plaque from your teeth by stimulating your gums to produce more saliva, which washes away plaque.

Eat from the charcuterie board.

Cheese has a low pH level, which makes your mouth less acidic and protects your enamel against erosion. The thinly sliced meats on a charcuterie board are easy to chew and less likely to get stuck between teeth. If food sits in your mouth when it’s lodged, bacteria will feed off of it.

Don’t:

Sip on eggnog.

This festive drink is loaded with sugar that can sit on your teeth, accelerating the production of decay-causing bacteria. The alcohol in eggnog will dry your mouth, making it more susceptible to bacteria and enamel erosion. Since store-bought eggnog contains high amounts of sugar, make your own and use a recipe that calls for a sugar-free sweetener. You can also leave out the alcohol to create a family-friendly batch that’s easy on the teeth.

Snack on candy canes.

Due to their hard consistency, you may accidentally chip a tooth while enjoying this candy. If you want a minty treat, chew peppermint gum after dinner or dissolve a cane in your hot cocoa.

For more tips on how to protect your smile during the holidays, contact the team at Zen Dental Hawaii in Honolulu. These dentists are dedicated to helping their patients maintain healthy, beautiful smiles, offering cosmetic solutions, like teeth whitening, crowns, and veneers. Learn more about their services online, or call (808) 532-5888 to schedule an appointment.