Blog by: Dr. Rebecca Ferns loves to motivate children to improve their oral health, working with special needs children, and making kids feel comfortable while in a dental setting. She loves to see beautiful smiles transition through the years.

With Thanksgiving and the holiday season right around the corner, we have so much to be thankful for!  

At LeBlanc and Associates, we’re especially thankful for the awesome foods that we get to indulge in this time of year. From roasted turkey to mashed potatoes to pumpkin pie, all the holiday foods get our taste buds excited. But, without strong teeth, we wouldn’t be able to enjoy the foods on our favorite list. This year let’s focus on having healthy teeth by balancing our favorite cravings with the delicious foods that will make our teeth strong and healthy.  

Here is a list of foods that are healthy for our teeth that you can incorporate into your holiday diets: 

Go Nuts for Nuts 

Have a craving for something salty? Try nuts instead of chips or crackers – they pack a protein punch and allow us to avoid the carbohydrates that acid-producing bacteria love to feed on.  

Nuts also contain minerals important for overall health. In addition, chewing nuts stimulates saliva production, which can reduce your risk for tooth decay by washing away food and plaque living on your teeth. 

Fruits and Veggies 

Fruits and veggies are an important part of any balanced diet, and they are also good for your teeth.  

While they do contain sugars, they are also high in water and fiber, which helps to balance and clean your teeth. Munching on these healthy foods stimulates saliva production, helping to prevent cavities 

Proteins Don’t Just Make Muscles Strong 

Bring on the turkey dinner! Phosphorus-rich foods such as meat, poultry, fish, milk and eggs help to strengthen your teeth and contain valuable protein. 

Choose Dairy 

Cheese and yogurt are full of protein and calcium, which helps to make your teeth stronger.  

Dairy foods are also less sticky, lower in sugar and wash off our teeth quickly, which avoids cavity producing bacteria from living on our teeth. We love any excuse to add cheese to our mashed potatoes! 

Water, Water, Water 

Skip the acidic juice and soda! The bacteria that cause cavities love to live in acid. Water, especially fluoridated water, is the best beverage for maintaining your oral health.  

That’s because fluoride helps to make teeth more resistant to the acid attacks that can cause cavities. Rinsing with water during and between meals helps to wash acidic food off the teeth. So, after eating pie and sticky candies, water will help prevent cavities. Water is also a great way to help prevent bad breath!  

Be Thankful and Proud of Your Teeth 

Be thankful and proud of the strong teeth you are growing this holiday season! We hope everyone can enjoy all your favorite foods while keeping these tips in mind — and don’t forget to keep brushing 2minutes 2 times a day and schedule 6-month dental check up to keep the cavity bugs away! 

Happy Thanksgiving from the LeBlanc and Associates Team!

Dr. Rebecca Ferns