Christmas Treats That Won’t Hurt Your Teeth

‘TIS THE SEASON TO TREAT YOURSELF

Choosing Christmas treats that your dentist would approve for maintaining your oral health during the holiday season can be tricky. Dr. Gina Liggio Maestri, a local dentist in Lafayette, LA, and the team are here to help make smarter snack and treat choices during the hustle and bustle of the holidays a little bit easier with these dentist-approved munchies.

Nature’s Candy

Bringing your own festive dishes to gatherings will help with making healthy holiday choices. Go for easy recipes using naturally sweetened foods like fresh fruits. Eating apples with the skin on, for example, can give your teeth a natural scrub to help remove stains while strengthening your gums, producing more saliva, and reducing bad breath.

Incorporate apples into baked dishes such as a delicious raw, apple tart sweetened with natural sugars and spices such as stevia and cinnamon, or a spiked naturally sweetened apple cider cocktail garnished with a cinnamon stick.

Dark Chocolate

Consider swapping lollipops and candy canes this holiday for teeth-friendly treats such as dark chocolate. Studies suggest that when consumed in moderation, dark chocolate may help better your oral health. It contains antioxidants, which act as antibacterial and protect your teeth from streptococci, a bacterium that can damage tooth enamel. The high levels of tannins in dark chocolate also help prevent jaw pain, as well as mouth infections and swelling.

Colorful Carrots

Using fresh vegetables in holiday dishes can make for a natural, beautifully colorful treat for your friends and family to enjoy. Carrots, for example, are packed with vitamin A, helping to build tooth enamel while the keratin in this vegetable also increases saliva production, increasing the pH level in your mouth, which aids in preventing tooth decay.

A fresh, raw veggie platter is an easy and healthy option to bring to your next holiday gathering. Don’t forget the carrots! Check out this ultimate carrot recipe for your holiday gathering this year.

Charcuterie Boards

Charcuterie boards are the perfect go-to holiday party platter options. Creating a board with fresh raw veggies, fresh fruits, and an assortment of cheeses is sure to please.

Cheese contains a high amount of calcium and protein that strengthens tooth enamel. Snacking on cheese also increases the production of saliva, increasing the pH levels in your mouth, preventing tooth decay. Cheers to cheese for the holidays!

Add some strawberries to your board to naturally whiten your teeth while removing surface stains when snacking on them. That same malic acid that serves as a natural stain remover is also found in other fresh fruits like watermelon, apples, and bananas, so consider adding those onto your charcuterie board too.

Schedule Your Dentist Appointment Today

If supporting locally owned and operated businesses within your community when holiday shopping this year is something that is important to you, then implement that in your decision-making for a new family dentist in Lafayette, LA too.

So, if you are located in Lafayette, Louisiana, then scheduling an appointment with Dr. Gina Liggio Maestri, DDS is the choice you may want to make. Dr. Gina Liggio Maestri, DDS is a Louisiana native, as well as the entire team, so you are sure to feel right at home while enjoying our Southern hospitality, and excellent customer service. Our online reviews reveal this to be true, too.

Our team takes pride in treating each patient like family. We would be happy to talk to you more about choosing and providing healthy options for your teeth during the holidays.

Book yourself an appointment hassle-free, give us a ring at 337-704-2126, or stop by our conveniently located office at 1601 Kaliste Saloom Road, Lafayette, LA 70508.

Cheers to oral care for the holidays!