The holidays are almost here, and with them comes a smorgasbord of delicacies you’ve probably been looking forward to all year. Your taste buds are ecstatic and ready to savor every moment. Meanwhile, your teeth and gums are trembling in fear of the impending onslaught.
You can still enjoy the holidays without jeopardizing your white, bright smile or the health of your teeth and gums if you follow these ten simple dental tips.
- Consume These Tooth-Healthy Foods
Holidays provide numerous opportunities to reconnect with friends, mix and mingle, and, of course, nibble and munch.
You should definitely allow yourself to splurge a little and enjoy some decadence that won’t be available for another 12 months. But make sure to balance it out with crunchy fruits and vegetables (carrots are a great choice), whole grains, and plenty of water. Your teeth will appreciate it, and so will your wallet!
- Avoid These Foods That Are Bad for Your Teeth
Sticky, hard, chewy, gummy, or sugary foods may be delicious, but they are not good for your teeth and gums. This includes the ubiquitous candy canes, soft mint chews, ice cubes, chestnuts, and other traditional holiday fares.
It can be difficult to say no to these once-a-year treats. However, if you can practice looking at a candy cane (or whatever forbidden item is in your sights) and visualizing an expensive dental filling charge instead, this can serve as a useful deterrent while you look for a safer alternative.
The holidays are almost here, and with them comes a smorgasbord of delicacies you’ve probably been looking forward to all year. Your taste buds are ecstatic and ready to savor every moment. Meanwhile, your teeth and gums are trembling in fear of the impending onslaught.
- Maintain Your Oral Health Routine on a Daily Basis
Set an intention to stick to your daily oral health routine as much as possible. Twice-daily flossing, brushing, and gargling may not be the most enjoyable part of your holiday schedule, but they are like a trip to Disney World for your teeth and gums, as well as a get-out-of-the-dentist-chair pass.
You can look forward to a clean bill of dental health in the New Year with just a little extra planning and effort now.
- Arrange for a Post-Holiday Checkup and Cleaning Now
Because this isn’t your first holiday season, you’re probably already aware of how busy you’ll be. You’re probably also aware that, despite your best intentions and promises, there will be times when you won’t floss, brush, gargle, or do any of the other things you know you should do to keep your teeth and gums healthy.
That’s fine. The good news is that you can schedule your post-holiday cleaning and check-up right now so that when the holidays are over, you can help your teeth stay clean, bright, and cavity-free from the first day of the New Year.
- Drink plenty of water on a daily basis.
Drinking water has numerous advantages, especially during the holidays when you are more likely than ever to be out and about and want to look and feel your best. Water, for example, can keep your skin looking young, hydrated, and blemish-free.
Water can help with digestion and elimination as well as freshening your breath. Water can also keep you satiated so you don’t have to add “go on a diet” to your list of New Year’s Resolutions yet again. But one of the best benefits of water is that it can clean away newly formed bacteria, preventing you from waking up one morning with a sore tooth and an emergency trip to the dentist.
- Never Use Your Teeth to Open Presents.
Teeth are useful for a variety of tasks, including chewing and enunciating. However, they do not make good tools. Using your teeth to open bottles, packages, snack bags, and other similar activities is a recipe for disaster.
This activity will weaken the enamel and the more fragile edges of your teeth over time, resulting in cracking and breakage, as well as an expensive cosmetic repair job.
The holidays are almost here, and with them comes a smorgasbord of delicacies you’ve probably been looking forward to all year. Your taste buds are ecstatic and ready to savor every moment. Meanwhile, your teeth and gums are trembling in fear of the impending onslaught.
- Suck on Cinnamon Gum
Cinnamon gum contains a substance known as “cinnamon aldehyde.” This essential oil gives the gum its crisp, spicy flavor, but it does more than just stimulate your salivary glands. It can also detect and destroy bacteria that cause cavities. This is an excellent method for reducing bacteria formation in between brushes.
Cinnamon, on the other hand, can keep your breath fresher for longer, which is especially useful if you can’t resist that garlic-laden dip!
- Beverages that are light in color or clear are preferable.
If you’ve spent the entire year whitening and brightening your teeth, the last thing you want to do is wake up on New Year’s Day and wonder why your once-white teeth have turned a pale-ish pink. Yes, red wine, like the tasty cranberry juice in those New Year’s Eve cosmopolitans, is said to be high in cancer-fighting antioxidants. However, both are potent tooth stains that can quickly undo all of your hard work from the previous year.
Choose light-colored or clear beverages to keep your teeth as white as possible this holiday season. They’ll still be delicious, but they won’t make your teeth look any worse for wear.
- Nibble on Cheese While Drinking
During the holidays, everyone enjoys a sip of nog or a swig of bubbly. Adult beverages, on the other hand, are notorious for their high acid content, which wears away relentlessly at your protective tooth enamel over time.
Snack on a chunk of cheese in between sips to reduce the acid content without interfering with your enjoyment. The alkaline in the cheese neutralizes the acid in the beverage, demonstrating the truly miraculous nature of food science. Best of all, they both taste delicious!
- Bring a teeth-cleaning kit with you to parties.
If you’re like most people, you won’t be sitting at home twiddling your thumbs too much during the upcoming holidays. And you won’t be eager to carve out time each night when you finally get home for brushing, flossing, and gargling.
So, what should you do? Packing a small to-go teeth cleaning kit that you can take to parties is one of the best compromises. This will not only prepare you to be rescued if you end up
The holidays are almost here, and with them comes a smorgasbord of delicacies you’ve probably been looking forward to all year. Your taste buds are ecstatic and ready to savor every moment. Meanwhile, your teeth and gums are trembling in fear of the impending onslaught.
with spinach dip wedged between your two front teeth, but it will also help you remember to care for your teeth during this especially hectic time of year.
