5 Holiday Foods to Avoid If You Have Dentures
The air is getting cooler and the leaves are changing color, which means that the holiday season is right around the corner! While your holidays may look a little different than normal this year, it’s still the best time to smile, remember what we’re thankful for, and of course, enjoy lots of delicious foods! However, before you dig into your festive feast, it’s important to take a few precautions if you wear dentures. Prevent broken dentures and a trip to your emergency dentist this holiday season by avoiding these five troublesome foods.
1.) Tough Meats
Biting, chewing, and breaking apart food with your teeth takes a little more time and effort if you wear dentures. Eating tough pieces of meat like steak puts a lot of stress on your dentures, which can cause them to lose their grip and pop out of place. Not only is this uncomfortable and embarrassing, but it can break your dentures or cause sore spots on your gums. Instead, stick to softer meats like turkey, chicken, ham, fish, and other soft meats for your holiday meals.
2.) Hard Nuts & Candies
Hard snacks like nuts, candies, and seeds pose a two-fold threat to your dentures. Firstly, their toughness can put too much pressure on one side of your mouth, which could dislodge your dentures on the other side. Secondly, tiny bits of crushed hard foods can get stuck underneath your dentures and cause irritation. If you’re looking for a snack between your meals, try eating berries or seedless grapes.
3.) Sticky Foods
Sticky foods are notorious for being a bad choice for denture-wearers. This holiday season, do your best to avoid anything overly sticky, such as taffy, jellybeans, caramel, or pecan pie. Even soft but sticky foods like peanut butter can cling to your dentures and shift them out of place. This can make it difficult to chew and lead to irritation in the gums.
4.) Caramel Popcorn
Sticky, hard, and full of sugar, caramel popcorn is a treat you should give up this year if you wear dentures. Alongside the issues mentioned above, this festive snack can coat your teeth and dentures with a sugary, sticky residue. This fuels the bacteria in your mouth and puts you at a much higher risk of tooth decay, gum disease, oral infections, and other conditions. What’s more, chomping down on a hidden un-popped kernel of popcorn could crack your dentures!
5.) Coffee & Tea
You probably already know that drinking too much coffee and tea can stain your teeth and discolor your dentures. However, these drinks also contain a lot of caffeine, which often causes dry mouth. This in turn can lead to uncomfortable friction between your gums and dentures. If you want to enjoy these beverages, consider switching to decaf, drinking through a straw, or drinking plenty of water with them.
Avoiding these foods can go a long way in protecting your dentures during the holidays. However, accidents still happen! If you find yourself with broken or ill-fitting dentures, don’t hesitate to call your Carrollton dentist right away to get the fast care you need.
About the Author
Dr. Kimberly Capua has been helping the smiles of Carrolton stay happy and healthy for life since 1991. As an active member of the Texas Dental Association and the Dallas County Dental Society, she completes countless hours of continuing education to stay current with the latest advancements in dentistry. She’s proud to use state-of-the-art technology and high-quality materials to craft beautiful and comfortable custom dentures that are designed to last. For more tips on how to care for your dentures, she can be contacted via her website or at (972) 418-1811.
