With the winter holidays approaching, you may be enjoying many delectable delights that satisfy your sweet tooth. While these goodies certainly taste good and may add to the holiday spirit, sugar 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. Dr. John Bosak, Jr. and our team are 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. This is because candy canes are made almost entirely from 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 tend to bite into them. Biting hard candy can chip or otherwise damage the teeth.
Chewy Candies
Caramel is an example of a chewy 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 chocolate, eggnog, and apple cider. These festive beverages contain lots of sugar.
We welcome you to contact our office at 818-368-5676 today to learn more about holiday treats and to schedule a visit with our dentist in Granada Hills, California.