Christmas is a time of fun, family, and festivities, but it can also be a time when sweet treats lead to a higher risk of cavities. Want to enjoy delicious treats but keep your family’s teeth healthy? Here are some tooth-friendly Christmas dessert ideas from The Little Royals: Dentistry For Kids!
Gingerbread cookies are delicious even if you reduce the amount of sugar used in the recipe, since the flavorful ginger and crispy crunch of the cookie helps make up for the lower-sugar recipe. You can even add additional ingredients like pumpkin to add more fiber to the cookies and make them even healthier.
Oatmeal cookies are loaded with fiber, and are a great alternative to traditional sugar cookies and chocolate chip cookies. Great add-ins for oatmeal cookies include raisins, walnuts, chocolate chips, and pretty much any other kind of nut or dried fruit. For a unique, festive treat, try oatmeal cookies with macadamia nuts and white chocolate!
Before the era of mass-manufactured candy and desserts, chocolate-covered fruit was a traditional Christmas dessert. So bring back this tradition with your family!
You can dip a lot of different fresh fruits in chocolate. Chocolate-coated strawberries are popular with kids and adults alike, as are chocolate-dipped apples and bananas. Chocolate-dipped figs and dates are also a great choice if you’d like to try something a bit more exotic!
Candied or dried fruits, such as oranges, can also be dipped in chocolate. We recommend using dark chocolate when making your chocolate-covered fruit. Both fresh and candied fruits contain plenty of sugar, so dark chocolate is a good option since it’s lower in sugar and helps contrast with the sweet, juicy, tender fruit.
Love making cakes? We recommend making cheesecake instead of traditional sponge cakes with sugary frosting. Cheesecake is very high in sugar, but the cream cheese used in the recipe helps neutralize acid in the mouth, so it’s not as bad for your teeth as you may think.
In addition, cheesecake tends not to stick between the teeth. You can easily rinse your mouth out afterward by drinking a glass of water, and most of the sugar will be washed away, which helps prevent cavities.
These treats still have some sugar, but as long as you and your kids eat them in moderation and continue brushing and flossing properly, you won’t have to worry about cavities! We also recommend that you bring your children to The Little Royals: Dentistry for Kids if they’re due for a six-month teeth cleaning and oral exam.
Dr. Sal or Dr. Yasi Colombo can check their teeth for cavities, make sure their smiles are healthy, and provide you with helpful oral care tips that will help your little ones stay cavity-free. Contact us online or give us a call at (561) 510-1450 to schedule an appointment right away.
