5 Tips to Keep Your Teeth Healthy During the Holiday Months
The holiday season is right around the corner! With the holidays come lots of social engagements that include eating and drinking, like holiday parties, brunches with friends, and family dinners. While there’s nothing wrong with indulging in your favorite holiday treats, some of them can be hard on your mouth. Your friendly dentists at Sunrise Dental want to help you keep your holiday smile merry and bright, so we’d like to start the season with some holiday dental tips.
How to Care for Your Teeth During the Holidays
Tip #1: Keep Up with Your Oral Hygiene Routine
Our number one tip is to maintain your usual dental hygiene routine. Continue to brush your teeth twice a day and floss at least once a day. On days when you have holiday parties or indulge in decadent foods, try to brush your teeth 15 minutes after eating. When left on the teeth for an extended period of time, sugar and food particles can cause cavities and other issues.
Tip #2: Snack Smart
Cookies, pies, cakes, candies—the list of holiday treats is endless! While we certainly won’t knock that gingerbread man out of your hand, we do urge you to make wise decisions when filling up your plate at holiday get-togethers. If you’re looking for something crunchy, pick nuts or fresh veggies from the crudité platter. And if you’re craving something sweet, instead of a slice of pie or a cookie, try turning to fruits to satisfy that craving.
Tip #3: Watch the Wine
One holiday dental tip that always surprises our patients is our suggestion to limit wine intake over the holidays. People forget there can be quite a bit of sugar in wine, and when you add wine to a festive punch or special cocktail with fruit juice, soda, or other mixers, there’s even more sugar to worry about. Wine and other alcohols also contain high amounts of acid, which can erode the enamel on your teeth. And don’t forget red wine can stain teeth, too, ruining your holiday smile.
Tip #4: Drink More Water
Fourth on our list of holiday dental tips is an easy one—drink more water! Drinking water has tons of health benefits for your teeth and gums. Plus drinking water helps combat excess sugars and acid from holiday foods and alcohol. Water washes sugars and acids away, stopping them from settling on your teeth and gums when you don’t have an opportunity to brush.
Tip #5: Schedule a Post-Holiday Cleaning Now
From now until early January, people’s schedules will be jam-packed with shopping, traveling, and holiday get-togethers. By scheduling your post-holiday cleaning right now, you’ll have one less thing on your to-do list to worry about. The sooner you can come in for a gentle dental cleaning, the less time your holiday treats will have to affect your oral health.
Get More Holiday Dental Tips at Your Next Visit!
If you have questions about how to care for your teeth during the holidays, or if you haven’t had your second exam and cleaning this year, contact us today! Your friends at Sunrise Dental in Glendale want to make sure your holiday smile is the brightest and healthiest it can be. Call us today at 623-487-4870 to schedule your next appointment.
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