How To Maintain Your Beautiful Teeth During The Holidays
The holidays are a wonderful time to enjoy food and beverages. While you can and should enjoy the festivities and all that they entail, consider how your choices affect your beautiful teeth and smile. You don’t want to be one of the unfortunate statistics: 3 in 10 Australians delay or avoid seeing the dentist.
With the holiday festivities, sweets and nuts, you could experience the pain and damage from loose or broken fillings, cracked teeth or receding gums. Fortunately, you also have access to top quality services to maintain your beautiful teeth during the holidays.
Reduce Intake of Sugary Drinks
Whether it is soft drinks, wine, or beer, most of our favourite holiday beverages are full of sugar. Unfortunately, the bacteria that cause tooth decay love sugar as much as we do. Cutting back on the sugary drinks is preferred, but if you don’t want to hold back these holidays, consider drinking through a reusable straw, which will decrease the amount of sugar and acid your teeth are exposed to.
Just because a drink is sugar-free doesn’t mean you don’t have to worry, either. Many drinks that use artificial sugars are highly acidic and can wear down the enamel. Think about alternating your drinks with water, to give your teeth a chance to be softly cleaned.
Avoid Hard Candy And Chewy Treats
The holidays are a wonderful time for popcorn balls, candy canes and cookies, but all those treats can negatively affect your teeth. While you don’t have to give up on all your holiday treats, you can eat them in moderation.
Don’t chew on hard candy. Also, minimise how much you eat sticky foods like caramel, toffee or peanut brittle. If you constantly snack, you’re increasing the chance of tooth decay. Try and remember to give your teeth some clear breaks in between meal times where there is no food or drink going into your mouth (other than plain water).
Cheese And Meat Trays Are A Good Alternative To Sweets
If you’re having difficulty resisting all those sugary sweets, you can snack on the cheese, meats and veggies. Cheese also contains a milk protein called Casein which has been shown to have a protective effect against tooth decay.
Don’t Crack Nuts With Your Teeth
You already know that you shouldn’t chew on hard candy, but you should avoid trying to crack nuts with your teeth. Use a nutcracker to crack your nuts or eat the nuts already shelled and ready to eat.
If your nutcracker isn’t doing its job, or you’re tempted to chew on ice or other hard foods, remember how expensive and painful it will be when you crack your teeth. You’ll probably end up with an emergency dental procedure over the holidays. Who needs that pain and hassle?
Drink Plenty Of Water
When you drink water, you’re quenching your thirst, avoiding the staining effects of other beverages and getting rid of the food debris and bacteria in your mouth. When you’re drinking water, it’s easier to avoid an excess of those sugary sweets, but you’re also protecting your gums and teeth.
If you drink tap water which in Melbourne is fluoridated , you can also strengthen your teeth and stay hydrated in the hot Australian summer. It’s a great way to support your teeth and gums all year.
Stick To Your Oral Health Routine
It’s not always easy to stick to your oral health routines. Brush two times every day. To better protect your teeth, keep a bit of floss or interdental brush in your bag so if there are any stray pieces of food between the teeth you can easily get it out. . If you have appointments scheduled during the holidays, keep your scheduled check-ups.
Schedule Your Post-Holiday Check-Up With Your Blackburn Dentist
At Whitehorse Dental, we offer emergency dental services with available options even during the holidays. Take special care to avoid staining beverages, hard candy and chewy treats that can discolour your teeth and lead to tooth decay.
Consider enjoying cheese and meat instead of all the sweet and sugary sweets. Take special care to avoid cracking your teeth on nuts and drink lots of water. At Whitehorse Dental, we provide top-quality treatments and services, but we also focus on your comfort. If you have a severe toothache during the holidays, don’t wait. Call us to make an appointment today.
