Dental health tips for the holiday season

With the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, the last thing you’ll want to deal with is a dental emergency. Protect your smile with these dental holiday tips:

1. Maintain your oral health routine. No matter how hectic your schedule gets, don’t set aside your oral hygiene routine. Brush at least twice a day, especially before bedtime, and floss daily. Continue to see your dentist, too, for your routine appointments. Notify them if you’re going away for the holidays so they can provide you with tips and instructions, especially if you’re getting any dental work done.

2. Avoid grazing. It’s tempting to keep snacking as you’ll likely be surrounded by good food when you’re hosting or invited to a party, but keep grazing to a minimum. This can contribute to plaque build-up. And if it’s not removed by brushing and flossing, it’ll harden and become tartar. Tartar leads to various dental problems like cavities, gum recession, tooth sensitivity, and bad breath.

3. Snack smart. Keep your meals balanced by including fruits and vegetables. Trade some of the starchy snacks with tooth-friendly choices like yogurt, carrots, and apples. Be careful when eating hard or crunchy food like nuts, meat, or hard candy. One wrong bite may lead to cracked, chipped, or fractured teeth. Use tools or consider breaking down food into smaller pieces first.

4. Reduce intake of highly-pigmented beverages. Highly pigmented beverages like pop, black coffee, red wine, and fruit juices may stain teeth. To prevent the liquid from settling on teeth, rinse your mouth with plain water. If possible, use a straw to reduce direct contact of the liquid on your teeth.

5. Increase water intake. Make water your first-choice thirst quencher, especially if you’ll be out and about a lot. Water keeps you properly hydrated, prevents dry mouth, rinses food particles in the mouth, neutralizes acidity levels, and prevents bad breath.

6. Don’t use your teeth as a tool. Your teeth are intended to be used only for eating. They shouldn’t be used to rip packages, tear adhesive tape, or open bottles as this may cause dental injury or damage. If you’re travelling, getting to a dental office may be extra challenging. So as inconvenient as it may be, find the scissors or bottle opener and save yourself from a potential dental emergency.

7. Protect your teeth. If you plan on playing any contact sports over the holidays, use a custom mouthguard. Be sure to pack dental floss, gauze, extra toothbrush, and over-the-counter pain medications in case you encounter emergencies.

Keep your smile happy and healthy for the holidays

Include good oral health in your New Year’s resolution, and think of it as a holiday present for yourself.

Reaching for occasional sweets and starchy food is okay, but set limits and always look after your teeth. Protect your smile whether or not it’s the holiday season.

As much as we love to see you visit us, we prefer that you make the most of your holiday celebrations with your loved ones.

From all of us on the team, we wish you a happy holiday. Thank you for allowing us to look after your oral health. See you at your next dental appointment! If you’re in London, Ontario, and are looking for a new dentist, please feel free to contact us at South London Dental or (519) 672-8770 . We’re glad to assist you.