This Thanksgiving, Be Thankful for Your Smile

With the holidays in full swing, we find ourselves being thankful for the good things in our lives. Family and friends, good food, and our health. Don’t forget to be thankful for your oral health along the way! Healthy teeth and gums give us so much, the ability to speak, to chew and eat our food, and bestow kisses on those we love as well.

This Thanksgiving, you can show your smile some gratitude by brushing and flossing throughout the holidays no matter how busy or tired you might be. And what about the food you eat? Thankfully, most of the food we commonly celebrate with on Thanksgiving is actually healthy for teeth and gums. Shall we look?

• Turkey is rich in phosphorous from protein which keeps your teeth strong.
• Cranberry sauce, well it is healthy but it’s also full of sugar to offset the tartness. For this reason, it’s better to eat it with meals instead of snacking on it.
• Mashed potatoes are filled with potassium, Vitamin C, and B6–all beneficial to your smile.
• Grandma’s green bean casserole is a family favorite, and the mushrooms, onions and green beans are good for you. In fact, raw onions and shitake mushrooms have anti-microbial properties which fight tooth decay.
• Yams are a kind of sweet potatoes. They are packed with Vitamins A and C and are gum healthy. Of course, if you are eating them topped with marshmallows, then you are also bathing in sugar. You can temper this by eating these with the meal, instead of snacking on them.
• Brussel sprouts are loaded with Vitamins A, C, and K which help your gums. The calcium they contain benefit your pearly whites.
• No Thanksgiving meal is complete without a serving of pumpkin pie! This dish is rich in Vitamin A, fiber, and potassium, all of which are good for the gums and tooth enamel. But it also comes with its share of sugar, so be sure to eat it with your meal and not rely on it as a snack food.

After your meal, take the time to brush and floss thoroughly, and rinse with well with water until you can clean your mouth properly. You don’t want oral bacteria to feed on the sugary, starchy remains of your meal.

If you still need an end of year teeth cleaning, please reach out to our Mission Ranch Dental Aesthetics team in Ladera Ranch, California. Our dentist,  Dr. Richard D. Guthrie looks forward to keeping your smile on track! Just call 949-388-6325 today.