It’s the holiday season! You know what that means: family and friends coming together, gifts, merriment and joy, and food. One of the best parts of the holidays is all that delicious food, but it can come with a price. It can be difficult to keep your teeth (and dentist!) happy this season with all those tasty temptations.
Fear not! You don’t need to suffer this season. Here’s just a few tricks to maximize your holiday enjoyment while still being kind to your smile.
Keep Your Routine
With all the hustle and bustle of the season, it can be easy to become lax in your usual health routine. However, it’s important to stay strict in your routine, or even amp it up a little more. The treats are everywhere this time of year; carrying a travel toothbrush and some floss with you will let you indulge while still preventing decay!
Remember the Scissors and Bottle Openers
These things are specifically designed to open gifts and drinks: your teeth are not! Opening bottles and tearing at tough wrapping paper can seriously harm your teeth. You could crack a tooth, lose a crown, or even lose a tooth entirely if you’re not careful. Use the scissors and bottle openers this season to avoid an emergency dentist trip after the holidays are over.
Avoid Excessively Chewy Treats
We know the popcorn balls and peanut brittle can be almost impossible to ignore; however, those chewy, sticky treats aren’t very good for your teeth. The sugar coats your teeth, while the sticky caramel threatens to pull crowns and fillings from your molars. If you do indulge, do so carefully – most dentist offices are closed for the holiday season, so getting an emergency visit might have to wait a few days, and you’ll be living in discomfort all the while.
Leave Your Nails Alone
As much fun as the holidays are, they can also be very stressful. If you’re a stress-induced nail-biter, you could be damaging your teeth in the process of damaging your nails. You could even damage your jaw or misalign your bite if you’re chewing excessively. Try distracting yourself for a few minutes if ever you feel the urge to start chewing; if that doesn’t work, consider buying a bitter-tasting polish to deter you from putting your fingers anywhere near your mouth.
Drink Water
It’s easy to forget to refill your water bottle when you’re surrounded by tasty holiday drinks like eggnog and hot cocoa. Those drinks are fine in moderation, but they’re loaded with sugar that tends to linger in your mouth. Keep your water handy while enjoying those drinks, and make sure to rinse your mouth thoroughly (or even brush!) when you’re finished to cleanse all that sugar away.
The holidays are a wonderful time for enjoying good company and giving thanks for all we have. It’s fine to indulge, but stay smart; always enjoy in moderation, and make sure to clean your teeth thoroughly after a holiday treat. Need to schedule a post-holiday visit? Give Susquehanna Dental Arts a call today at 717-285-7033. We wish you a very happy holiday season!