As the festivities of Christmas are fast approaching, many of us will be enjoying a few delicious delights. Mince pies, Christmas pudding, sweet, syrupy liqueurs, and festive bubbles may all be on the menu but what does this mean for our teeth and oral care?
Don’t worry, you can still enjoy the food and drink you want over Christmas, just bear in mind some of our dental top tips to help keep your teeth and gums in good shape over the festive period.
Grazing on food and drink throughout the day is a habit that should be avoided and is particularly hard to do over the festive period. Ideally, it’s best to keep the sweet treats to mealtimes only and drink water afterward. This will help wash away the sugars that attach to teeth and gums and create an acid attack on your enamel. If you are grazing all day, your teeth don’t have a chance to recover from this acid attack.
If you are enjoying some bubbles, make sure you wait at least an hour before brushing your teeth. This will help minimise any damage to the enamel.
The acid in these fizzy, festive drinks is the issue. It doesn’t matter if they are sugar free, diet, or light, it’s best to try and limit them, as the acids dissolve the tooth enamel, causing tooth decay and sensitivity.
If you are going to have some fizzy soft drinks; you can use a reusable straw to minimise the contact of sugar on the teeth.
Sticky toffees have been known to pull out a filling and can affect crowns, bridges, or veneers and hard sweets can even crack your teeth. You don’t want a dental emergency on your hands, so if you’ve had any dental restoration work, it’s best to be cautious when eating overly sticky sweets. Maybe you could opt for some healthier dark chocolate instead.
Brushing your teeth first thing in the morning and last thing at night are the best times. Try to keep up your oral routine over Christmas and floss once a day too. This will help keep you on track with your oral health. Maybe you could sing a few carol verses silently in your head to make sure you hit the two minutes each brush.
Also, don’t forget to book in your dental check up in the new year.
A very simple tip is to chew a sugar-free gum after meals. The gum produces more saliva, and this can help wash away harmful acids and sugars left on the teeth and gums.
This is great news for all cheese lovers! Eating cheese after meals is beneficial for your teeth. It helps reduce the acid levels in your mouth, which in turn helps protect your teeth – so go on, tuck into that delicious cheese board!
We understand it can be tempting to bite the Sellotape off with your teeth, crack that nut or even open a bottle with your teeth but please remember your teeth are not tools.
So many dental emergencies are caused by people using their teeth this way. Grab yourself a bottle opener, nutcracker, or pair of scissors and avoid a painful dental emergency this year. We hope you can use some of our dental top tips over the festive period, and you will be limiting the damage you do to your oral health.
The Edge Dental team wishes you a Merry Christmas and New Year. May 2022 bring us all good fortune and healthy smiles!
If you would like to join our practice, you can call our friendly team and book on 01625 599 001 or email info@theedgedental.co.uk
