The Christmas holiday celebrations tend to bring excess food into our lives, especially traditional desserts, candy and other goodies. Keep your teeth healthy and your smile bright through the holiday season with these simple tips.
Keep Daily Dental Routines
Along with excess, the Christmas season brings chaos when it comes to regular schedules and routines. Since the increase of sugary foods during the holiday season leads to a rise in the production of plaque on teeth, daily dental routines become even more important.
Even as your schedule is interrupted with trips out of town or extra days off from work, keep the daily dental routines that ensure a healthy smile. Brush teeth after each meal, or at least once in the morning and once at night before bed. Floss once a day, combining it with the morning or evening teeth brushing. These good habits will keep away the unwanted gift of tooth decay.
Schedule Snacks and Meals
There’s more down time during the holidays, which when combined with the increase in sweet and salty snacks can be a dangerous situation when it comes to the health of your teeth. To help prevent tooth decay, keep a regular schedule of snacks and meals whenever possible.
Closely monitor the kinds of foods eaten during the day and in the evening, limiting dietary choices as much as possible to vegetables, fruits, low-fat dairy products, and whole-grains. A helpful tip includes incorporating crunch fruits and vegetables like carrots and apples during this time of year – the natural crunch helps get rid of bacteria that eventually turns to plaque.
The Best Candy for Teeth
It’s impossible to avoid candy and goodies during the Christmas season. While you consider the options at your next holiday gathering, keep in mind that while sugar as a rule isn’t good for your teeth, there are alternatives that can help keep your teeth healthy.
- Candy that contains xylitol doesn’t contain the refined sugar that results in the build-up of harmful plaque on the surfaces of teeth.
- Sugar-free gum or mints can help keep your mouth busy when faced with sugary temptations.
- Chocolate – especially dark varieties – in moderation can offer health benefits and is less likely to stick to teeth when frozen.
The types of candy to avoid during the Christmas season include those that sit a long time in the mouth, like hard, filled or chewy candies. These stick around in and around your teeth long afterward, contributing to the increased chance of tooth decay. This would definitely be an unwanted gift as you celebrate the holiday season!
Nothing can replace regular, professional dental care and treatment. As the new year approaches, give New Smiles a call at (503) 925-9595 for your next appointment or request a personal appointment online!