Tis the season to be jolly. Many of us will be sitting down to an indulgent Christmas meal or two over the festive period. Indulgences such as mince pies, Christmas pudding and sweet syrupy liqueurs are delicious, but they can play havoc with your teeth and oral care.
Do not fear, you can still enjoy the foods you desire over Christmas, with our dental top tips to keep your teeth and gums in good shape over the festive period.
Top Dental Tips over Christmas and New Year
Limit grazing – try to keep the sweet treats to mealtimes and drink water afterwards to wash away the sugars that attach themselves to teeth and gums. The sugar creates an acid attack on your enamel and if you are constantly grazing all day, your teeth don’t have chance to recover from the acid attack.
Avoid sticky toffees & sweets – if you have had dental restoration work, these are really a no go as you don’t want a dental emergency. Toffees have been known to pull out a filling and can affect crowns, bridges or veneers.
Be aware of Prosecco and sparkling drinks – it’s the acid in these fizzy, festive drinks that is the enemy. It doesn’t matter if they are diet, light or sugar free, try to limit your intake, because the acids dissolve the enamel on your teeth, causing tooth decay and can make teeth more sensitive and even discolour them.
Use a reusable straw – if you or your children will be drinking the odd fizzy drink, you can use a reusable straw to minimise the contact of sugar on the teeth. This will reduce the damage caused to your teeth.
Keep up your brushing and flossing – first thing in the morning and last thing at night are the best times to brush and floss your teeth. Try to keep up the brushing twice a day and flossing once a day as a minimum and remember to wait at least one hour after eating before brushing, especially at night for example.
Your teeth are not tools – we know it’s tempting to tear off the Sellotape with your teeth, or to open that bottle of beer or break that nut without using a bottle opener or nutcracker, but remember your teeth are not tools. So many dental emergencies are caused by people using their teeth this way.
Cheese after meals – the good news, if you like cheese, is that it is beneficial for your teeth. It helps reduce the acid levels in your mouth after eating, which in turn helps protect your teeth – so go on, tuck into that delicious cheese board!
Chew sugarless chewing gum – the gum produces more saliva, and this can help wash away harmful acids and sugars left on the teeth and gums.
If you use these top tips over the festive period, you will be limiting the damage you do to your oral health. If you do have a dental emergency over the festive period, we are open as usual on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve from 8.30am to 5pm. Friday 27th December, we open from 8.30am to 1pm and December 28th we are open from 8.30am to 5pm.
The Aesthetique Dental Care team wish you a thoroughly spectacular Christmas and New Year. May the new year, 2020, bring us all much good fortune and healthy, happy smiles!
If you would like to join our practice, you can call our friendly team today and book in your FREE CONSULTATION on 0113 323 6311.
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Dental Design | Site last updated: July 2024 