The festive holiday season is in full swing, but that means your teeth and gums have to be protected against, injury, damage, tooth decay, and gum disease.
Our team at Beck Dental Care wants to help you get through the holidays with a clean, healthy mouth. That’s why we’re talking about how to
keep your smile safe
all through the season and into the new year!
Guidelines For Healthy Holiday Teeth
You want to have a good time with family and friends during the holidays. To do that, you want to avoid things that will land you in the dentist chair at the worst possible time. Here are some guidelines to keep in mind while you’re celebrating this year for a healthy holiday smile.
Use Your Teeth For Chewing
We’ve all been there. You’re unwrapping gifts, and instead of using the proper tools to cut hard plastic, you use your teeth instead. It’s more convenient, and it won’t hurt anything, right?
Wrong. As tempting as it is, it’s important to use your teeth what they were designed for: tearing and chewing up food, not hard objects. This year, when it’s time to tear open all the Christmas presents and unbind gifts from their packages, reach for a pair of scissors to cut tags and ties. This will protect your teeth, and your good time, from a dental emergency.
Don’t Be A Candy Cane Cautionary Tale
Candy canes are all over the place during this time of year. They’re on your Christmas tree, they’re piled high in the candy jar, and they don your gingerbread house. But if you don’t want to be a Christmas cautionary tale, they probably should go in your mouth.
First, candy canes are packed with sugar. Aside from that, they also break up into sharp, small pieces that, while being chewed, could injure your gums and your teeth. You don’t want to cut your holiday fun short because of a dental emergency.
Be Mindful Of Sticky Substances
Although the holidays are a great time of year to indulge your sweet tooth, there are certain treats you should avoid for better oral health.
Among these would be desserts and candies that contain sticky, sweet substances like marshmallow, toffee, and caramel. They tend to stick to small spaces in between your teeth, which is a sugary playground for bacteria.
Rinse With Water Between Meals
As surprising as it sounds, you shouldn’t brush your teeth right away after you eat or drink something, especially if it’s highly acidic.
That’s because the acid creates a layer on your teeth for up to 45 minutes after you’ve consumed it. Brushing your teeth immediately will only allow the acids to seep into your enamel and threaten your teeth and gums further.
Instead, rinse your mouth out with water throughout the holidays if you’re in between normal brushing and flossing. This will help your mouth stay clean, especially after eating those highly acidic, sugary foods and drinks.
Stay Committed To Good Dental Habits
Holiday traveling can make it hard to keep to your regular health regimen. From working out to brushing and flossing, this time of year requires extra vigilance if you don’t want your oral or overall health to get off track.
You give yourself reminders by keeping your toothbrush and dental floss visible near or on the bathroom sink. It’s hard to forget daily brushing and flossing when you them several times a day.
Make Your First Appointment Of The Year!
Believe it or not, you can come away from the holiday season with your smile healthy and intact. All it takes is a little awareness and a commitment to regular personal and professional oral health care.
Beck Dental Care is excited to help you in that endeavor. You can follow our helpful guidelines as you navigate through the festive season, and then call our Columbia, TN dental office to schedule your first cleaning and exam of 2018.
Keeping your smile healthy is our top priority, but we don’t just stop at making sure your teeth and gums are strong. We also want to make sure your smile is as beautiful as you want it to be.
With cosmetic dentistry at Beck Dental Care, you can have a gorgeous, confident smile to help you enjoy years of holiday celebrations!
Call us today at (931) 388-8452 or fill out our
online form
to schedule your first appointment of the year.