Holidays are all about fun, frolic, and sweet treats! While we celebrate a merry Christmas and count down for the new year while enjoying chocolate, a cookie, or a pie, we tend to forget our oral health goals. If you wish to keep your teeth healthy and your pearly whites just as they are, follow these seven golden tips from your very own tooth fairies from Complete Dental:
1. Watch your Sweet Intake – Beverages Included!
All the goodie bags from friends and family has us splurging on sweets this time of the year. It is important to keep a tab on just how much you are eating. Sugary sodas and acidic wines are no good either, so be aware of what you consume.
2. Avoid Snacking all Day
Binge eating candies or sweets throughout the day will only fuel the bacteria in your mouth. So, restrict all the sweet indulgences to only after every meal of the day to reduce sweet consumption frequency in a day.
3. Balance Your Diet with Fruits and Vegetables
Your teeth need Vitamin A and other minerals to stay strong and healthy. So, resist the temptation of sweets and balance your diet with healthy fruits and vegetables.
4. Enjoy Dairy Products
While it is a known fact that calcium is good for teeth, milk and low-fat cheese have good neutralizing effects on everything sweet. So, don’t miss out on your daily dose of milk – in any form you like!
5. Chew Sugar-Free Gum
Chewing sugar-free gum after every meal prevents excessive snacking and produces enough saliva to wash away all the bacteria. If possible, choose gum that contains xylitol – a natural sugar alcohol that helps prevent tooth decay.
6. Drink Water
Drinking water is a universal solution to all problems. Drinking plenty of water will wash away food residue – preventing the possibility of tooth decay. Take sips of water when drinking sugary drinks to reduce the sugar coating on teeth.
7. Follow a Dental Hygiene Routine
The most important rule is to brush and floss your teeth every day for two whole minutes to maintain optimum oral health. You can floss your teeth using therapeutic mouthwash after every meal during the holiday season.
Besides these tips to keep your teeth healthy, make sure you do not use your teeth to crack nuts, open bottle tops, or tear tape out of excitement. These could result in dental emergencies that could spoil the holiday mood.
