The best way to spread love and cheer the holiday season is through a beautiful season. Buddy the Elf put it best when he said, “Smiling is my favorite”. What can you do to promote mouth health this holiday? We’ve got some holiday dental tips for you!
1. Avoid Sticky Sweet
We don’t want to rain on your holiday treat parade, but some treats should be avoided. These include gummy, sticky, and hard candies.
Did you know that sour and gummy candy can be perilous on our teeth? Sour candy contains a high level of acid leading to tooth erosion. In fact, some candies, like gummies, powders, and sticky gels, stick to teeth even longer, prolonging the attack on the teeth. Hard candies can crack your teeth if you bite down on them in the wrong way. If you do have to eat candies, instead of biting, let them dissolve in your mouth.
As always, the most important thing we can do for our oral health is a regular brushing and flossing regimen. Brushing and flossing several times a day, particularly after meals, can go a long way towards keeping teeth and gums healthy for a lifetime.
Try swapping sugary sweets for nature’s candy: fruit. If you’re having a big dinner or party, rather than preparing several cakes and pies, try making one sweet dessert and then preparing a big fruit and cheese plate to satisfy your sweet tooth.
2. When it comes to Wine
2. When it comes to WineWhen it comes to wine go for white wine. Red is responsible for discoloring your teeth and often makes them feel sticky. If you must go for wine, grab some cheese as well. Wine is very acidic, the alkaline in the cheese will balance the pH level in your mouth.
3. Up Your Dental Game
Prevention is always the key to having the best smile around for years to come. Making healthy habits part of your routine will ensure that your smile stays bright for many more holidays!
Remember two minutes, twice a day. Ideally, you should be brushing your teeth for two minutes twice a day plus using a mouth rinse and flossing. With all the extra consumption of sweets, alcohol, and food it may be worth adding in an extra brushing or flossing session.
4. Spread Christmas cheer
Looking for great stocking stuffers as well as great dental tips? Toothbrushes, toothpaste, and dental floss are the perfect addition to your holiday gifts! They are small and compact making them the perfect size for stocking stuffing.
Holiday Tip: To get kids in the spirit of brushing try singing the chorus of your favorite holiday tune while they brush.
5. Water is your best friend
One of the greatest dental tips out there: Water is your secret weapon to almost all things health related. Water is important for healthy skin, a strong immune system, a healthy mouth and so much more. Water helps wash away food particles that lead to tooth decay. Drinking water after a meal helps to wash away any leftover food particles as well as dilute acid from foods.
6. Protect Your Teeth
Stress is another big player this time of year. Many take to biting their nails when times get tough. Biting your nails is bad for many reasons including damage to your teeth. If you are feeling stressed try these tips to get you through hustle and bustle of the season:
- Take a break- while it may seem like everything has to get done today, it doesn’t. There will be time tomorrow. Pushing for perfection during the holidays may be the norm, remember what they are really about: spending time with those you love. Just slow down, take a breath, and enjoy the moment.
- Paint your nails a festive color
- Keep nails short
Holiday Tip: If you know a nail biter a manicure might be an excellent present.
7. Get on our schedule
The holidays are busy for everyone. We get it, but remember dental care is extremely important to your overall health. Make dental care a priority. Many dental benefits run out at the end of the year. Don’t let your benefits go to waste by not using them, schedule with us today.
No matter what holidays you are celebrating this season, we wish you warmth, light, and love! Enjoy this special time with your friends and family. Thank you for being part of our Commonwealth Dentistry Family.
