Dental Tips for the Holiday Season

‘Tis the season where we have a good excuse to over-indulge in eating and drinking whatever we want. However, since we are enjoying more of our favorite treats, we put ourselves at a higher risk of damaging our teeth.

Here are some ways you can help protect your teeth and gums:

1. Limit Sugar Intake – During the holidays, we are usually surrounded by cakes, squares, chocolates, and candy. Although these are difficult to ignore, try your best to eat as few as possible. When you do eat them, do so right after a meal vs. grazing on them throughout the day.

2. Eat Cheese – This is music to your ears, right? Cheese is rich in calcium and it also balances out the pH in your mouth which lessens the damaging effects of acidic food and drink on your tooth enamel.

3. Choose Nuts – If you are going to be snacking a lot, opt for nuts instead of crisps that contain cooked starch which break down into sugars. Nuts contain a number of nutrients that play an important role in tooth and gum health.

4. Eat Your Veggies – As with all other times of the year, remember to eat your veggies – especially those with Vitamin A (carrots, broccoli) which help strengthen tooth enamel.

5. Protein Power – The phosphorus in turkey joins forces with calcium and Vitamin D to help keep teeth strong.

6. Drink Water – Not only is water calorie-free, you don’t have to worry about it eroding away your tooth enamel like fizzy soft drinks have the potential of doing. If you do choose to drink a soda, use a straw to lessen contact with your teeth. If you drink wine, try to drink once in the day vs. throughout the day, as this is also very acidic. Not to mention, red wine can also stain your teeth!

7. Say No to Processed Cereals – just take a gander at the label and you’ll soon realize how much sugar is hidden in these. Choose bran, steel cut oats, or oatmeal instead.

Keep in mind that your teeth are at risk for up to an hour after eating, so be sure to brush after each meal and maintain your oral hygiene routine throughout the holidays. Want to get your kids excited about dental care? Put a fun electric toothbrush in their stocking!

Start the New Year with a healthy smile!  Call us to book an appointment today!