The team at Country Club Dental Flagstaff, wishes you and yours happiness and all the best of what this season has to offer. Here are a few of our top dental tips for the holidays to keep your teeth healthy and bright.
1. Keep Up or Increase Your Daily Oral Health Routine
The busier you get, the easier it is to let your basic oral health care slip. The simplest way to ensure your teeth and gums stay healthy through the holidays is to maintain a solid oral hygiene routine. If you’re feeling disciplined, consider brushing your teeth 30 minutes after you’ve finished every meal or snack, in addition to your morning and evening brushing. And rather than waiting, carry some floss with you to get in between your teeth right away!
2. Chew Sugar-Free Gum Between Meals & Snacks
You might not be able to brush after every meal or snack, but you probably could toss in a piece of gum to chew. Studies have found that chewing sugarless gum after eating or drinking increases saliva production, which can help neutralize and rid your mouth of harmful acids that break down tooth enamel. Even better, look for chewing gums and oral care products containing Xylitol, which actually helps to prevent tooth decay and dry mouth.
3. Drink Plenty Of Water
All of those sweet, sticky, and starchy foods you’re dreaming of eating over the holidays can create a dry and sugary environment in your mouth where harmful bacteria love to live and do damage. Drinking water has a two-fold benefit; it rinses food particles and bacteria away from your teeth and gums, and it helps to keep a healthy production of saliva, which protects the integrity of your teeth.
4. Don’t Use Your Teeth as a Tool
This tip goes for the whole year round, but particularly during the holiday season, when it may be tempting to open packages or food supplies with your teeth. Your teeth are made strong for chewing and crushing food, but using them as a tool increases the risk of chipping or scraping away precious enamel. Instead, opt for scissors or a knife to do those cutting and tearing tasks.
5. Snack on Cheese
Believe it or not, there’s actually a scientific reason behind the pairing of wine and cheese. The acidity of beverages like wine and soda create an environment in your mouth where harmful bacteria can damage tooth enamel and produce cavities. Snacking on cheese when you drink wine or other alcoholic beverages helps to balance the PH in your mouth. Cheese has the added benefit of being high in calcium, which can return necessary minerals back to your teeth that were lost while eating and drinking other foods and beverages.
6. Give the Gift of Dental Health
In addition to—or instead of—stuffing stockings with sugary treats and hard candies, load your families stockings with a new electric toothbrush that can get all those hard-to-reach places, and fluoride toothpaste that will remineralize your tooth enamel. These are gifts that will keep on giving!
7. Schedule Your New-Year Checkup and Cleaning Now!
Why wait to schedule your first cleaning of the year, when you can do it now? Getting a cleaning and a fluoride treatment at Country Club Dental after the holiday season can help give your teeth the healthy start they need for the new year! We offer financing plans and our Dental Savings Club for those without dental insurance to make your visit affordable. So, pick up the phone and make your proactive dental cleaning appointments now, or at the beginning of the new year when your dental benefits renew. Your teeth will thank you by staying stronger and lasting longer. And enjoy a healthy, wonderful holiday season!
Images used under creative commons license – commercial use (11/30/2018) Pixaby
