The holidays have arrived and so have the abundance of social events, parties, drinks and food! Whilst this is a joyous time of year, our teeth can be exposed to more damaging things than usual. With schedules jam-packed and never-ending grazing boards, your oral health can sometimes take a back seat.
We don’t want you to have to worry about your and your family’s oral health this festive season. So, we’ve put a list of oral health tips together to help you keep smiling through all the celebrations.
5 Oral Health Tips For The Festive Season
For keeping decay, gum disease and dental emergencies at bay this Christmas, here are 5 oral health tips!
Drink Lots of Water
It’s essential to stay hydrated for your oral health, all the time. However, at a time when routines can sometimes become derailed, it pays to pay extra attention to your water intake. Not only does drinking lots of water help you feel fuller for longer, but it also helps rinse your mouth and teeth. This reduces the number of bacteria left to linger in your mouth, encouraging decay.
Alternating your alcoholic or sugary drinks with a glass of water is a good way to stay hydrated. You can also aim to have a glass of water before each celebratory feast to help prevent overindulging!
Consume Treats Moderately
At Boon Dental, we encourage our patients to enjoy the festive treats they love and enjoy. However, it’s essential to do so in moderation, for the sake of your oral health.
Of course, not all holiday foods are bad for your teeth, but unfortunately, many of them are.
Sticky foods, like lollies, caramel and dried fruit, for example, can get stuck around your teeth. Your saliva and water alone are not enough to remove some of the remnants. As a result, they linger on your teeth, promoting decay. So, try to limit your intake of these types of foods and others notorious for damaging teeth.
Include The Tooth-Friendly Options
As mentioned, it’s not all bad news for your teeth concerning holiday food and beverages. Tooth-friendly options do exist! It’s just a matter of ensuring you say yes to these options when dishing up.
For example, crunchy veggies provide nutrition and they help remove plaque build-up from your teeth. Cheese, yoghurt and other dairy products help remineralise your teeth through their calcium content.
Protect Your Teeth On the Field
The summer holidays are a popular time to hit the field with your mates for a game of rugby, footy, or other contact sports. It’s important to protect your teeth on the field to avoid a Christmas outing to the emergency dentist.
Wearing a sports mouthguard, particularly a custom-made one from your dentist, can help prevent many impact-related dental injuries.
Keep Up With Your Oral Hygiene Routine
One of the most important oral health tips is to maintain your oral hygiene routine. The festive season is holiday time for many of us, which means routines get lost and we take a break from a few things. Your oral health routine should not be one of these things.
It’s vital to keep up twice-daily brushing and daily flossing, as busy as this time of year can get. Keeping up with your oral hygiene routine also prevents your good dental habits from coming undone. So, this is particularly important for children who are very routine driven when it comes to developing new, good habits.
Looking For A Family Dentist?
Our goal at Boon Dental is to help you and your family achieve optimal oral health and maintain it. Our family-friendly dental practices in Ropes Crossing and Wentworth Point provide a comfortable and relaxing environment for patients of all ages.
We encourage you to use some of the oral health tips in this blog to help you stay on top of your dental health this festive season.
Is getting on top of your and your family’s oral health on your to-do list for 2021? Boon Dental would love to support you! We have a full range of quality dental services and a team of experienced, gentle dentists.
Please contact us to make an appointment.