7 Food Need To Avoid In Festive Season

India is all about fun and festivities and festivals are all about sweets, chocolates, sticky fried food. Starting from kids to adults and seniors everyone has an excuse. During festivals like Diwali, our health regimes get disturbed due to late-night get togethers and unhealthy eating habits. Along with that routine health regimes like exercise, brushing at night get neglected. All of us want healthy teeth and gums, but during the festive season, the lure of sweet treats, delicious drinks and desserts can overwhelm our otherwise sensible choices. Unfortunately the chances of tooth damage are all-too-common this time of year. Luckily, you can be happy and be merciful on your teeth at the same time by making some dietary changes.

Tooth Damage : Why does this happen?

• Not brushing regularly.
• Eating too many sweets and sticky items, chocolates, fizzy drinks, junk food.
• Not cleaning teeth properly especially between the teeth.
• Drinking sodas/alcohol regularly.
• Not drinking enough water to keep the mouth hydrated.

In this blog we shall discuss which foods which you need to be careful of.

1. Sweets and Desserts

Festivals and sweets go hand in hand. Not to forget that sweets are coated with high levels of sugar. Bacteria in your mouth feed on the sugar and produce acid, which increases your risk of cavities as it erodes tooth enamel which is the outermost layer of the tooth. Now since enamel serves as a protective layer on your teeth, you must keep it as intact as possible.

2. Sugary Baked Goods

This is a tough one, especially if you love to bake. Sugary baked goods, like cookies, cakes etc. also have high amounts of sugar, which is not good for your teeth. Small pieces of these starchy treats get caught between your teeth and sit there for a long time leading to cavities. 

3. Carbonated and Sugary Drinks

These drinks are loaded with sugar, leading to a higher risk of tooth decay. When you sip sugary drinks for long periods of time, plaque bacteria use that sugar to produce acids that attack your enamel, the hard surface of your tooth. Most carbonated soft drinks, including diet soda, are acidic and therefore are bad for your teeth.

4. Ice is for chilling and not chewing

You might be surprised at how many people think ice is good for their teeth. People think that, it is made of water, doesn’t contain any sugar or other additives. But chewing on hard substances can leave your teeth vulnerable to an emergency dental treatment by damaging the enamel.

5. Beware of things that go “crunch”

Everyone loves the nice, satisfying crunch of a potato chip! Unfortunately potato chips are filled with starch, which tends to get trapped in your teeth. If you choose to indulge in snacks like these, take extra care when you floss that day to remove all the food particles that can lead to plaque build-up. Hard crunchy food/candies also put your teeth at risk because in addition to being full of sugar, they can also trigger a dental emergency such as a broken or chipped tooth.

6. Alcohol/ Sodas

People who drink sodas and alcohol excessively may find their saliva flow is reduced over time, which can lead to tooth decay and other oral infections such as gum disease. Saliva in our mouth helps to wash away food particles and protects against acidic foods. Since alcohol suppresses the production of saliva, it is harmful for teeth and leads to gum disease and cavities.

7. Choose Your Snack Carefully

One must be  sensible,  when it comes to  choosing snacks. You can start snacking on items that either don’t have or have less starch or carbohydrates in them. Some of the good items to snack include almonds, cheese, carrots, fresh crunchy vegetables etc. They won’t harm your teeth in any manner, plus you can trust them also for not gaining weight. So, be careful with what you munch on, to maintain your smile and dental health this festive season.

We know it is not very practical to avoid the sweet indulgences especially when festivals are round the corner.So here is what you need to do this festive season to keep your smile healthy and sparkling white.

Tips to keep Smile Healthy and Sparkling White

A. Regular brushing

Brush twice daily using proper brushing techniques and floss at least once a day.

B. Rinsing

Rinse your mouth thoroughly after every sweet or acidic drink to dilute the sugars and after every meal to get rid of the food particles in the mouth.

C. Drink lots of Water

Good water intake is the key to good health. Drink a lot of water to keep yourself hydrated. Drinking water before and after eating can be really beneficial and will prevent the sticking of sweets to your tooth surface.

D. Replace sodas with fresh juices.

Fresh fruit juices is a good idea which will also increase the    liquid intake inside the body and flush extra particles stuck in between teeth resulting in the cleaner mouth.

E. Fruits and vegetables

High-fiber foods can scrub your teeth clean. Fruits and vegetables those are crunchy and juicy like cucumber, watermelons, muskmelons, apples, pears have water content and are natural toothbrushes  for your teeth.

F. Visit your dentist regularly once in 6 months

Let us tell you about foods which are good for your teeth.

Nuts

Vitamins, minerals, calcium, iron, potassium, zinc and other nutrients present in nuts like almonds, walnuts, cashews and peanuts are good for your teeth.

Green tea

A warm cup of green tea has polyphenol, that helps suppress the bacteria and can help fight cavities and plaque.

Almonds

Almonds are great for your teeth because they are a good source of calcium and protein while being low in sugar.

Cheese

Eating cheese raises the pH of the saliva and lowers the risk of tooth decay. It increases the saliva in the mouth.It also contains calcium, protein and nutrients that strengthen tooth enamel.

Yogurt

Like cheese, yogurt is high in calcium and protein, which makes it a good pick for the strength and health of your teeth. The beneficial bacteria, found in yogurt also benefit your gums because the good bacteria crowd out bacteria that cause cavities.

Green Leafy Greens

Leafy greens are full of vitamins and minerals while being low in calories. They are high in calcium, which builds your teeth’s enamel. They also contain folic acid, a type of B vitamin that has numerous health benefits, including possibly treating gum disease in pregnant women.

Apples

Apples are rich in fiber and water. The action of eating an apple produces saliva in your mouth, which rinses away bacteria and food particles. The fibrous texture of the fruit also stimulates the gums.

For this festive season, keep in mind all these top tips for oral care. You can even book an appointment before the event of the festival season with us or any reputed ‘dental clinic in Delhi’. Teeth whitening in Delhi, is popular treatment among patients during the festive season.Another very popular dental treatment in Delhi during the festive season is, ‘Smile Makeovers with porcelain veneers’ or ‘esthetic treatment with all ceramic zirconia crowns‘.Our advice to you is that you must visit, a ‘dentist in delhi’ after the festive season is over for a thorough check-up, cleaning and polishing of your teeth to reduce the harm caused as far as possible.

To book an appointment with us in,’Smile Delhi- The Dental Clinic’- call us on +91- 9811106871 or whatsapp Dr. Suprriya B Bhatia on +91-9811106377. You can also mail us on [email protected].

We Care To Make You Smile.

Posted By – Dr Sonam