Trying to make it through the holidays without eating sugary candies or treats isn’t a reasonable or realistic expectation. However, there is a more realistic and reasonable way to get through the holidays, and that is by minimizing your mouth’s exposure to bacteria-consuming, acid-forming sugars with teeth friendly alternatives.
Consume candy and other sweets with your meals, not as a snack. This is good advice any time of year. If you want to enjoy your holiday goodies, treat them as a dessert instead of a snack. Your saliva increases during meals to help wash away the sugars in a more efficient manner. And this tip can also help you moderate your consumption of holiday sweets.
🎯 Teeth Friendly Alternatives for Sugary Treats: Simple Habits
Here are some ways to reduce damage while still enjoying the season:
🍽️ Enjoy Sweets with Meals, Not as Snacks
Consume candy and other sweets with your meals, not as a snack. This is good advice any time of year. If you want to enjoy your holiday goodies, treat them as a dessert instead of a snack.
Your saliva increases during meals to help wash away the sugars in a more efficient manner. This helps protect your teeth and can also help you moderate your overall consumption of holiday sweets.
Remember to drink water after eating dessert!
🍭 Choose Sugar-Free Confections
Buy and make sugar-free confections. You can have all the deliciousness without the damaging sugars. Be sure to read the labels of prepared products to make certain there are no hidden sugars.
These small swaps already count as teeth friendly alternatives compared to traditional candy.
🥕 Teeth Friendly Snack Ideas Between Meals
Eat healthy snacks. By satisfying your between-meal cravings with these foods, you can enjoy your mealtime dessert even more — with less guilt and less impact on your teeth.
- Strawberries, apples, melons, and other fresh fruits are nutritious, healthy alternatives to candy or sugary snacks.
- Cheese, yogurt, unbuttered popcorn, and baked tortilla chips are great substitutions for fatty snacks and appetizers.
- Carrots, celery, and other raw veggies served with hummus or sugar-free peanut butter are nourishing options to banish your cravings for sweets.
All of these options are more teeth friendly because they don’t stick to the teeth as much as chewy candy and often support overall health.
🪥 BRUSH! BRUSH! BRUSH!
Of course, brushing, cleaning between your teeth, and rinsing immediately after eating sweets is your best bet for keeping away tooth decay. At the very least, carry around dental picks so you can do a quick cleaning at holiday parties.
When you pair good hygiene with teeth friendly alternatives, you give your smile the best chance to stay healthy during and after the holidays.
🎄 Start the New Year with a Healthy, Happy Smile
Knowing what candies are the “bad elves” during the holidays, you can plan your strategy for enjoying sweet treats while still choosing teeth friendly alternatives whenever possible. The important thing is that you start the new year with a healthy, confident smile.
At Smiles For Health, we offerwellness-focused dental services so you can smile with confidence.
