COLUMBIA, S.C. — Its during the holidays many of us like to indulge in something sweet, but dentists are warning people to take precautions.
Sweets, cookies and eggnog are filled with sugar, and that sugar can cause cavities in your teeth.
Dentist Dr. Scott Balzer with Prisma Health says he's seeing many patients come in with tooth fractures after eating hard candies. He says gummies are the worst candies to eat because they sit on your teeth causing cavities, which eventually can lead to tooth decay.
Dr. Balzer says sugary drinks, even some alcohol can lead to dental problems.
"The bacteria eats the sugar, the byproducts are then acid, that acid eats away teeth then causing cavities," he said.
HIs advice is to wait till after eating sugar and then brush their teeth.
"There's a time period it takes to break down those sugars and so its actually best to wait 30 minutes to an hour after eating those sugary foods or drinks."
Dr. Balzer says when eating candy or drinking wine or eggnog, people should alternate each sip or bite with some water to wash away the sugar. He also urges people to brush and floss twice a day.