Sweet Treats are Inevitable during the Holidays

The holidays are here, and that is when your kid’s teeth can get into trouble. All too often, it can be difficult to keep an eye on the candy bowl and your kids, especially if you and the family plan a trip to Grandma’s or Aunt Betty’s this Christmas. Sometimes it is easy to bend the rules, but let your kids eat too many sugary sweets, and starchy foods like cake and cookies, and come January you may be spending more time than you like at dentist. All Smiles Kids Dentist in Corona often sees patients at the beginning of the year because of over indulgence during the holidays.  

Now that Thanksgiving has come and gone, the holiday ads are everywhere, and unfortunately, families can be totally caught up with the excitement eating mom’s prize winning sugar cookies and the neighbors fudge. Most folks eat their fair share of treats during the holidays promising themselves that they will go on a diet come January, but what about you and your kids teeth?

Candy canes, ginger bread, peanut brittle and salt water taffy may have been good at the time, but if you do not make sure that your kids brush twice and floss once a day, and rinse after enjoying anything sweet, the new year isn’t the only thing you will be ringing in come January 1^st.

Your Corona Kids Dentist will tell you that it doesn’t take long for tooth decay to start and if your kids already have issues, there could be new cavities to fill.

Because sugary drinks and sugary foods produce an abundance of oral bacteria it feeds on the sugary treats that you eat. Harmful acids then begin to form and start to wear down the enamel on your teeth. Once the enamel begins to weaken, you and your kids are much more susceptible to cavities and gingivitis. 

It is impossible to avoid all of those sweet treats during the holidays, but your Kids Dentist in Corona suggests buying one of those travel-sized toothbrushes and keeping it in your bag. Another thing that may help keep cavities at bay is to encourage your kids to eat sweets along with a balanced meal instead of enjoying them on their own. Eating lots of carbs will help their body’s produce more saliva which helps digest foods, especially those cookies, pies, cakes and candies. 

Eating sugary treats during the holidays is usually unavoidable, so why not schedule an appointment with All Smiles today for a checkup. That way you can keep an eye on any problems and get those fillings now.