With Christmas just a little over a month away and Christmas candy very likely having already made its way onto the table (and thus into your mouths), this dentist is going to have to go over the ins and outs of proper brushing habits again. Prepare yourselves for another thrilling blog on soft-bristled toothbrushes, teeny tiny circular motions, and choosing the right toothpaste.
Nah, we’re just kidding!
Yes, that’s absolutely important, because as you know, we strongly prefer to keep you from needing emergency dental care because we’re all about preventative dentistry over here. So yes, of course brushing is important and is in fact completely necessary after you’ve chomped on your aunt’s homemade Christmas candies this year. That’s the main thing to remember—snack on candy, brush; snack on candy, brush; snack on candy, brush. That’s going to be your mantra this holiday season.
Here are the top ten goodies you should make it a point to brush after eating this holiday season:
- Sugar Cookies. Yes, we know. Those delightfully soft, wonderfully delicious (and heavily frosted) sugar cookies that your Ma makes are awesome. There’s no disputing that, but just remember your holiday mantra, okay?
- Peanut Butter Balls. One of our favorites, too. Peanut buttery, chocolatey goodness all so deliciously wrapped into one tasty little Christmas ball. How could you say no? Thankfully you don’t have to. As long as you remember to brush afterwards!
- Peppermint Sticks. It wouldn’t be the holidays without one of those soft, melt-in-your-mouth peppermint sticks that remind you of all of the best things about your childhood, would it?
- Eggnog. Some love it, some hate it, all need to brush after drinking it. Enough said?
- Candy Cane Fudge. Another treat that you can really only eat one time each year, it combines the minty goodness of candy canes with rich fudge. What’s not to love about that, right?
- Bacon and Eggs. No, not the breakfast. You’ve never heard of this one? You have to try it. It’s easy. Three pretzel sticks held together with a small dollop of white chocolate almond bark and a yellow M & M (upside down, because it’s the egg, you see). Thank us later. After you brush your teeth, of course.
- Peanut Brittle. Sugar and corn syrup in one holiday treat? Peanut brittle does taste great, but it’s a recipe for a toothache, considering that it’s so darned heavy on the sugar. Just, you know…don’t forget to brush.
- Peanut Butter Cookies. Delicious by themselves, but even better with a Hershey’s Kiss dropped in the middle (to make it special for the holidays!), it’s hard not to love another instance of so much peanut butter and chocolate crammed in to one holiday treat.
- Truffles. Yummy sugary chocolate balls rolled in sprinkles, cocoa, or if your home is anything like ours was growing up, more sugar! Hey, how about all of that sugar?
- Pecan Pie. Pecans are a healthy nut, right? That should make for a nice snack this Christmas! Unfortunately, most pecan pies also call for a cup of sugar in addition to a cup of corn syrup. Yes, it’s delicious, but no, it’s not a healthy treat.
We know, we know. We left off a bunch of other holiday goodies, ranging from fruit cake (it’s not like you were going to eat that anyway) to biscotti to trifle. That’s because the point is that no matter what sugary treat you’re chomping on this Christmas, the key is going to be to remember that when you’re basically eating pure sugar and calling it something else, you have to brush afterwards. We’re not trying to be sticklers or anything, but at Morton Ranch Dental Clinic, we want to keep the post-holiday toothaches to an absolute minimum. We are all about preventative dentistry, after all.
You know what? It’s probably best that you schedule a visit to see your favorite dentist anyway. We’d be happy to take a peek inside your mouth and let you know what’s going on. And we’d bet that as long as you heed our advice (repeat after us—brush after eating Christmas goodies), you’ll be just fine! Either way, why not schedule an appointment? We look forward to seeing you!