Christmas, for most, is an exciting time! A time to spend with family and close friends, partying, watching movies, Christmas plays, fellowship and you guessed it, food! At this time we indulge in some of our favorites, like ‘ol’ time Jamaican chocolate tea, eggnog, sorrel, fruit wines, sodas, Christmas cakes and puddings, honey glazed ham, cookies, candies and of course, alcoholic beverages.
Unfortunately, partaking in some of these activities expose our teeth to excessive amounts of sugar, which gives the bacteria already present in the mouth, an opportunity to do damage. Bacteria thrives on sugar, so when we have a sweet treat, the bacteria feeds on these sugars and produce harmful by-products like acids, which in turn cause cavities, which can lead to tooth loss if not treated. The sticky treats tend to provide a long-lasting source of sugar as they are harder to clean out from the tooth surfaces and are retained within the chewing surfaces of the teeth longer.
Similarly, consuming too much alcoholic beverages can also impact the health of your teeth. In fact, alcohol over time desiccates (dries out) the enamel, making your teeth more brittle, prone to fractures, cavities and also dry mouth.
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Christmas, for most, is an exciting time! A time to spend with family and close friends, partying, watching movies, Christmas plays, fellowship and you guessed it, food! At this time we indulge in some of our favorites, like ‘ol’ time Jamaican chocolate tea, eggnog, sorrel, fruit wines, sodas, Christmas cakes and puddings, honey glazed ham, cookies, candies and of course, alcoholic beverages.
Unfortunately, partaking in some of these activities expose our teeth to excessive amounts of sugar, which gives the bacteria already present in the mouth, an opportunity to do damage. Bacteria thrives on sugar, so when we have a sweet treat, the bacteria feeds on these sugars and produce harmful by-products like acids, which in turn cause cavities, which can lead to tooth loss if not treated. The sticky treats tend to provide a long-lasting source of sugar as they are harder to clean out from the tooth surfaces and are retained within the chewing surfaces of the teeth longer.
Similarly, consuming too much alcoholic beverages can also impact the health of your teeth. In fact, alcohol over time desiccates (dries out) the enamel, making your teeth more brittle, prone to fractures, cavities and also dry mouth.
Share this post: