If you’re familiar with the holiday season, you know that many call it the most wonderful time of the year. After all, it includes gift-giving, parties, family reunions, and more! Even so, however, end-of-year holidays aren’t so great for oral health. In fact, they can seriously damage your teeth and gums in some cases. Fortunately, your Washington dentist is here to keep that from happening. Read on to learn why the holiday season is bad for teeth and how to protect your smile from it.
Why Holidays Tend to Be Bad for Teeth
Unfortunately, holidays’ unique features can encourage bad oral habits — ones that result in tooth decay, cavities, and worse. The most common and risky of these practices include:
Eating Lots of Sweets & Treats
Desserts and sweets are the mainstays of the December holidays. You have candy canes, peppermints, gingerbread cookies, and countless other treats. Unfortunately, eating lots of such items harms your teeth.
You see, foods like those above are loaded with sugar, a carb that causes tooth decay. In particular, it attracts harmful bacteria that erode enamel and create cavities. Too many holiday sweets, then, will literally wear down your smile.
Travel Changes to Your Routine
Like most people, there’s a good chance you do some traveling for the holidays. However, this activity is often harsh on consistent oral care. By disrupting everyday routines, it often makes people forget to clean their smiles daily. It can thus lead to poorer teeth over time.
Given these truths, remember to pack a toothbrush, floss, and mini-mouthwash for your trip.
Frequent, All-Day Eating
Since holidays let you catch up with loved ones, they usually involve large meals and snacks. That’s only natural, as food lets you bond with others. However, constant eating won’t do your smile much good.
Even if the food eaten isn’t sugary, all-day snacking lowers your saliva levels. From there, bacteria will be able to grow on your teeth and wear away your enamel.
How to Protect Your Smile During Holidays
Thankfully, there are ways to protect your smile from holiday habits. For instance, consider the following tips:
- Focus on Oral Hygiene – As always, you should brush your teeth twice daily, floss once daily, and rinse with mouthwash. To help you remember, keep a dental kit handy after your holiday meals.
- Drink Water – Try to drink plenty of water so “leftovers” don’t stick to your teeth for extended periods.
- Consume Healthy Foods – Instead of sugary stuff, try to eat tooth-friendly foods over the holidays. Especially good ones are turkey, carrots, spinach, and cheese.
Oral health is just as crucial during the holiday season as at any other time. Therefore, use the tips above to maintain it — that’d make this time truly wonderful!
About the Practice
Aesthetic & Family Dentistry is based in Washington, DC. As led by its trio of excellent dentists, our practice strives to give patients the best dental care. To that end, we perform a variety of preventive, cosmetic, and restorative treatments, including emergency procedures. Our office is even a certified provider of Invisalign clear aligners! For more information or to book a visit, you can reach us on our website or by phone at (202)-364-8989.