Dental Tips for Thanksgiving

Happy Holidays! Bring out the stretchy pants and get ready for that delicious Thanksgiving turkey and all the wonderful sides.  We asked some dentists from Smile Generation-approved offices to share some dental tips for the holiday.

Brush and Floss after Eating

This is common sense. Brush and floss after every meal.  During Thanksgiving, we tend to over indulge at meal time and skip the diet for a day, but DO NOT skip brushing and flossing. The combination of food left on or around the teeth and bacteria causes tooth decay. So after chomping on that turkey leg or having that slice of pumpkin pie, be sure to brush and floss.

Open Nuts with a Nutcracker and Don’t Open Bottles with Your Teeth

It may sound funny now but how many people have you seen during exactly that – using their teeth to crack open a nut or even open a beer bottle?  “The average crown costs about $800. A case of beer costs about $20. A bottle opener costs less than that…use the opener,” says Dr. Jacob Dent of Sugar Land Modern Dentistry in TX, a Smile Generation-approved office.

Don’t Bite Candy Canes and Avoid Sticky Sweets

After Thanksgiving, Christmas festivities begin and sweet treats like candy canes make their annual appearance.  Dr. Ian Young of Towne Center Dental Group in Arizona says:  “Be wary of hard sticky sweets like caramelized popcorn balls or candy brittle. A popcorn seed, nut, or hard piece of sticky sugar can easily break a cusp off a molar or fracture that huge metal filling you’ve had in that back tooth since you were 12.”