Taking Care of Your Teeth During the Holidays

Taking Care of Your Oral Health During the Holidays

The holidays are wonderful: all the cookies, candy, rich food and holiday beverages. It’s so easy to forget about your oral health as you dine on all the delicious food that everyone seems to offer you. This holiday season, follow these oral health tips to ensure your teeth stay healthy and strong through the New Year and beyond.

Limit the Sweets

As soon as the holidays begin to approach, it seems like everyone has a baked dessert they want to give you, or a bowl of candy that’s readily available. With so many sweets around, it’s easy to drastically increase your sugar consumption…but don’t give in! While it’s fine to be a little bad and eat a few more sweets than normal, don’t go overboard.

There are many ways you can help yourself avoid candy and sugar. For starters, make compromises with yourself. When you’re at work, and someone is giving out Christmas cookies, but you know you’re going to be eating Christmas cookies later at a gathering, skip the work ones. If you suddenly get a craving for sweets, avoid the Christmas candy and try an apple. It’s also helpful if you keep the sugar away from you. Don’t put candy canes on the tree or have a bowl of candy available.

Avoid Red Wine

Many people have a lot of gatherings as the holidays approach, so you may find yourself going to dinner parties with friends and family more often. It’s likely you’ll find wine at these events, but be careful. Red wine can stain your teeth, so it may be best to avoid red wine completely and stick to white. That way, your teeth stay nice and white.

Wine also has a lot of sugar in it; as with candy, keep it to a minimum. When possible, avoid sweet wines, which contain more sugars that can damage your teeth. Stick with dry white wines for the least amount of sugar and stains.

Don’t Neglect Your Cleanings

It’s likely you have an upcoming dental cleaning during the holidays, but with so much to do, you may decide to put it off until next year. That is a terrible idea, especially if you are indulging in more sugar than normal. It’s always important to go to your regular dental cleanings, so your dentist can remove tartar and look for problems.

If you think you may be developing a problem, such as a cavity, don’t put that off either. The only thing that can happen if you avoid going to the dentist for a minor cavity is that the cavity can worsen, leading to pain and a more rigorous treatment.

Floss and Brush More Often

As always, brush and floss like you always do, but if you are eating or drinking more sugar, it may be a good idea to floss and brush more often throughout the day. If you do decide to eat a sticky candy cane, brush your teeth after eating it to immediately eliminate the sugar and give it no time to attract bacteria.

If you decide to drink wine, or another substance that can cause stains, immediately brushing your teeth may not be a good idea. Wine is acidic, which may soften your enamel. Brushing while the enamel is soft can damage it. It’s best to rinse your mouth out with water and brush after an hour or so.

Don’t let the holiday season destroy your oral health. These four tips will keep your mouth looking and feeling great. For more information, contact Landmark Dental Group today.