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With National Peanut Butter Lover’s Day, National Pi Day and St. Patrick’s Day, March holidays come with a lot of delicious treats! During all of the fun and festivities, it’s very important to protect your teeth. Keep reading to find out the most dental-dangerous foods and drinks during March and how to protect your teeth.

Food and Drinks to Watch Out For

Peanut Butter – March 1st is National Peanut Butter Lover’s Day. While peanut butter is a heart-healthy food with good fats, it is often packed with unnecessary sugar. Sugar feeds the bacteria on your teeth, allowing it to produce acids that cause cavities. 

Beer – Whether you’re enjoying it in a shade of green on St. Patrick’s Day or having one at the end of a tough day, beer can cause quite a bit of damage to your teeth over time. This carbonated beverage can become carbonic acid in your mouth and wear away at your enamel which can result in dental sensitivity or tooth decay. Acidity isn’t the only threat that beer poses to your enamel. While it may not be sweet, beer is full of sugar.

Pies – Since 2009, National Pi Day has been celebrated on March 14th. On this day, mathematicians, math lovers and people who simply love pie honor the ratio of a circle’s circumference to its diameter or pi, which is 3.14, with eating their favorite pies. However, the more you feed your sweet tooth, the more you feed the cavity-causing bacteria in your mouth. 

How to Protect Your Smile

It is well-known that brushing twice a day for two minutes and flossing are great ways to protect your teeth from cavities, but there are additional ways to help keep your mouth healthy with the upcoming festivities. Adding mouthwash to your oral hygiene routine is an easy way to add an extra layer of protection for your mouth. The best order of action will be to floss, brush your teeth and then follow up with a fluoride mouth rinse. If you need a more definitive plan of action, dental sealants may be a good option. Your dentist will apply this thin layer of plastic-based substance to the teeth to protect them from cavities. 

March is definitely full of fun holidays, but don’t let the good times put your oral health at risk! Practicing a proper dental care routine and visiting your dentist regularly can help keep your teeth and smile bright and healthy.