Take Care of Your Teeth during the Christmas Season

With the holidays coming up, you might want to indulge a bit more than usual. It's no secret that the holidays are prime times for sweets, sugary drinks, and bad oral health habits like not flossing often enough or not brushing after meals. While this is the season to indulge and enjoy yourself, it's not the time to let your health and your smile suffer the consequences. Those with oral health problems or who are at risk for them should be especially careful during the holiday season to avoid developing any new cavities or other issues. Here are some ways to keep an eye on your teeth during the holidays:

• Drink plenty of water between meals and brush regularly
• Limit your intake of holiday treats to a few per day rather than snacking on them all day long.
• Brush and floss regularly. While you're out and about this holiday season, you'll be eating a variety of foods and snacking more often. That's normal, but you need to make sure that you do your part to take good care of your smile by brushing and flossing after you eat. Make sure that you're also taking the time to brush your tongue and get in between your teeth so that bacteria doesn't build up and cause cavities or bad breath.
• Avoid eating and drinking excessively sugary foods. It's fine to have a few holidays treats here and there, but you want to make sure that you don't eat too much of them because the sugar in them can stick to your teeth and lead to decay. Limit yourself to one or two of the less sugary snacks per day. And when you do indulge, make sure to brush your teeth afterward!
• If you play any winter sports, make sure to always wear a mouthguard to protect your teeth from any traumatic injuries that can hurt the teeth and gums.
• Keep up your regular checkup schedule with your dentist. If you normally get regular checkups once every six months, then make sure that you don't miss any appointments now that you're planning more events than usual. Plus, if you have a toothache or other issue that needs to be fixed, make sure you get an appointment right away so that you can have the problem taken care of before it causes even more damage.

At our practice, we make our patient's dental our top priority. Visit our clinic to get a thorough examination to determine the best treatment for your condition.