Is It Truly Possible to Keep Your Teeth Healthy Over the Holidays?

It’s that time of year again – and all the traditional holiday goodies are available in abundance and will be for the next few months.

However, skipping visits to your dentist could be a very bad idea, since pregnancy can predispose you to problems with oral health. In this article, we will discuss these issues and answer your questions about prenatal safety and dental visits.

Add to that the fact that most people will be out of their normal routines due to travel and one holiday party after another, you might think it’s going to be impossible to keep your teeth healthy.

Thankfully, your Carson dentist has some holiday dental care tips that can help you keep your teeth and gums healthy and pain-free.

Can You Keep Your Teeth Healthy During the Holidays Without Going to the Dentist?

It’s absolutely possible to keep your teeth and gums healthy without having to visit your Carson dentist (see our tips below).

However, if you want to ensure a pain-free holiday, we do recommend visiting your dentist before you travel.

A cleaning and check-up will help your dentist find any issues and address them sooner rather than later. There’s nothing worse than experiencing dental discomfort or a dental emergency when you’re away from home and trying to have some fun.

Plus, catching issues early with these preventative services allows your dentist to treat problems while they’re still minute and don’t require complex treatment.

Holiday Dental Care: How Can You Keep Your Teeth Healthy This Season?

We want to help you stay comfortable and feel confident about your smile as you enter the holiday season. Here are just a few tips from your Carson dentist that will help keep your teeth healthy.

1. Reduce Candy Intake

We all love a tasty treat. The problem is that these foods contain a ton of sugar and sugar is one of the top culprits when it comes to dental decay.

Candy canes are especially bad for teeth because they take so long to eat. The longer a sugary treat takes to consume, the longer the sugar stays in our mouth and the more likely it is to attack the enamel. Hard candies, sodas, and sugary coffee drinks are some things to limit or eliminate in your holiday diet.

But it’s not just the sugar that damages our teeth. Some of these treats are hard, chewy, or sticky. If we continually bite down on hard objects – including candies – our teeth can eventually crack, chip, or even fracture.

Chewy foods can do a number on your jaw joints, too – especially if you have TMJ disorder. The more you must chew something, the more your facial muscles will tense, and the easier it is to trigger jaw pain or a headache.

And finally, we have the sticky foods. These foods are notorious for getting stuck (and staying stuck) in the grooves of the teeth. The grooves of the teeth aren’t always easy to thoroughly clean, so the sticky, sugary substance stays there and attacks the enamel, resulting in biting surface dental decay.

You can reduce your risk of decay by limiting the sugary foods and beverages you consume and being mindful of the treats you choose to eat. Do your best to avoid crunchy/hard, chewy, and sticky sweet foods.

2. Stick to Your Oral Hygiene Routine

We know how hard this can be when you’re traveling. You get out of your routine, go to bed later than usual, and are sometimes just too exhausted to go through your entire routine.

Your Carson dentist urges you to do your best to stick to your normal oral hygiene routine to keep your teeth healthy.

Pack a travel toothbrush (with soft bristles), floss, and whatever other dental tools you typically use. Floss your teeth while watching TV. Listen to your favorite song while you brush before bed. Do whatever you can to make your routine as easy (and as fun!) as possible to ensure you stick with it.

3. Stay Away from Foods/Beverages That Stain

Another holiday dental care tip is to do your best to avoid foods that stain. These foods can make your pearly whites look lackluster. You want your holiday photos to look stunning, whether you’re taking a selfie with friends or posing for a family Christmas photo.

Foods and beverages that stain the most include:

Here’s a helpful tip from your Carson dentist: If you are going to drink sugary drinks or those that stain, drink through a straw. Doing this will help prevent a “sugar bath” in your mouth and can protect your teeth from staining and dental decay.

4. Eat Some Cheese

Eating cheese can help balance the pH levels in your mouth, particularly after drinking alcoholic beverages. By reducing the acidity in your mouth, you lower your risk of dental decay.

5. Don’t Use Your Teeth as Tools

At times, it may be tempting to use your teeth to break or cut something open. Our teeth are strong and sharp, after all!

However, our teeth weren’t designed to do this. They were designed to chew on and break down foods. Using them as tools can cause chips, fractures, and sensitivity.

6. Avoid Grazing

During this season, food is everywhere. It’s easy to graze whether you’re at work, home, or a friend’s place.

Unfortunately, grazing can prove harmful to the health of your teeth. Normally, people don’t brush their teeth after every grazing experience, which means there’s a higher risk of dental decay.

Do your best to stick to three meals a day and brush at least twice a day – if not after every meal.

7. Drink Lots of Water

Water isn’t as exciting as cocktails, wine, and sugary coffee drinks. But water has a multitude of benefits. Here are just a couple.

Get Your Smile Ready for the Holidays

If you’re like a lot of people, you’ll take some extra time to get holiday-ready this year. You might visit a salon or spa and have treatments that make you look and feel great before it’s time to travel or attend holiday parties.

Our tip: Don’t forget to visit your dentist, too. Your Carson dentist can provide you with cosmetic services – like teeth whitening – that will brighten your smile and make you look even better in your holiday photos. Talk to our team to see what services are best for your needs.

Make sure your teeth and gums are healthy before you travel! Contact our team to schedule a dental check-up and cleaning today.

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