The holidays are packed full of stressful situations, homemade sweet treats, and a hectic schedule that can cause you to fall out of your dental hygiene routine. All of these seasonal changes can put your oral health at risk and increase your chances of developing pesky problems like cavities. Instead of letting your oral health decline, read on for some tips on how you can enjoy the holidays from your dentist in Midlothian.
Stay Hydrated With Water
Certain seasonal beverages such as eggnog, hot apple cider, and hot chocolate are delicious and can get you in the mood for the holidays. The downside is that they’re often packed full of sugar that can fuel harmful oral bacteria. When they feed on it, they produce substances such as enamel-eroding acid and toxins that can leave your teeth and gums vulnerable to damage and infection.
The best way to keep bacteria from accumulating in your mouth is to keep sugar from hiding out in plaque on your teeth. Drinking plenty of water will help neutralize any acid in and rinse away sugar from delicious holiday beverages and sweets.
Don’t Open Presents With Your Teeth
Although it can be tempting to enthusiastically open presents with your teeth instead of getting up to get a pair of scissors or a knife, it’s best not to. This can cause excessive wear-and-tear and put you in danger of breaking, chipping, or cracking a tooth. To avoid spending your holidays with your emergency dentist, it’s best not to use your teeth as tools to rip open packages or tear tape off a roll. Instead, let a pair of scissors do all the work.
Keep Up With Your Dental Hygiene Routine
With so many holiday plans and a long to-do list you need to get done before family members start to arrive in town, it can be hard to stick to your regular routine. Instead of waking up and brushing your teeth, you may jump directly to knocking out your next task on your holiday checklist. This can cause harmful oral bacteria and plaque to accumulate in your mouth, leaving you vulnerable to developing cavities and gum disease. Be sure to take time to brush and floss your teeth every morning and evening, especially if you tend to eat more sugary foods during the holiday season.
Stay Away From Tempting Sticky and Chewy Sweets
Sugar is known to be a key factor in causing gum disease and cavities. Sugary foods that are sticky or chewy are harder to remove from your teeth, exposing your mouth to this harmful substance for longer than normal. If your favorite holiday sweets cling to your teeth, be sure to brush and floss directly after eating them, because your saliva won’t be strong enough to do the work on its own.
Keeping up with your oral health over the holidays is probably the last thing you’re worrying about, but without the proper preventive measures, you may end up needing an unexpected visit with your dentist. With these helpful tips in your back pocket, you’ll be able to keep your smile healthy and bright for all of your family photos.
About the Practice
At Marvel Dental in Midlothian, we offer the expertise of three highly trained and experience dentists. We focus on providing our patients with thorough preventive treatment that stops small oral health problems from developing into issues that can have a permanent impact on your mouth. Our three dentists also frequently collaborate on building treatment plans, so you get the quality of care that you deserve. For questions or to schedule a checkup and cleaning, visit our website or call 682-772-3072.