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3 Tooth-healthy Treats for Your Kids’ Stocking

Christmas stocking lying on a table

For many people, stocking stuffers are an afterthought—they grab whatever holiday-themed candy that’s sitting by the register. While that’s understandable, those candies can do some pretty serious damage to your kids’ teeth. With a little bit of thought, you can give your children some treats in their stockings that prevent oral health issues, or at least won’t cause them to the same extent. Here are three examples of sweets that might work.

Dark Chocolate

The problem with caramels, toffee, and other common Christmas sweets is that their sugar tends to linger in the mouth, feeding the bacteria that live there. Chocolate is one of the better candies for your children’s teeth because it melts away quickly, so the sugar has less time to do damage. If your child can handle bitter foods, dark chocolate also contains less sugar than other varieties, making it some of the best candy for your kids’ teeth.

Soft Nuts

While they might sometimes be a little overlooked, nuts make for a great festive treat. Softer nuts, like pecans, are easy enough to chew that they won’t damage your kids’ teeth. However, they’re also stiff enough to scrape away plaque as your children eat them. Finally, they have the benefit of being full of nutrients that can foster your family’s health.

Sugar-free Xylitol Gum

Sugar-free xylitol gum is perfectly stocking-sized and comes in a wide variety of flavors. It also actively facilitates the mouth’s natural cleansing process by stimulating saliva production, which carries food particles into the stomach. The gum also picks up larger food particles on its own, so it can clean your children’s mouths that way as well.

As you can see, there are treats that your kids will love that are also all right for their oral health. With a little bit of planning, you can have a happy holiday season without any cavities.

About Our Practice

At Pelican Landing Dental, we want every aspect of our patient’s oral health to be the best it can be. That’s why we have seven incredible dentists on staff, to ensure that no matter the issue your family is facing, we can help you. We also have a world-class dental staff that will make every patient who visits our office feel perfectly at home. If you have any questions about how to take care of your family’s health during the holiday season, we can be reached at our website or by phone at (239) 948-2111.