Keeping Teeth Healthy at Christmas

We would like to take this opportunity to wish a very Merry Christmas to all our patients! We would also like to thank you all for your continuous support during this year.

We understand how hard this year has been for everyone and we appreciate your continuous loyalty and support. At the Neem Tree we have enjoyed looking after all your dental needs and have loved creating lots of new smiles as a team!

Now that the festive season has dawned upon us, it is important to consider the effects that overindulgence can have on your oral health. Christmas is the time to enjoy festive food and drinks, but remember, it is not always the amount of sugar in your food and drink, but more importantly, how often these are consumed that will mostly impact your teeth.

We want to ensure that your new year does not begin with hefty dental bills. Here are a few tips that are worth bearing in mind to ensure that you can begin 2021 in the healthiest way possible and keep teeth healthy during Christmas.

Limit Your Sugar

A very big topic right now is SUGAR! With the lockdown in place, Halloween just finished and now Christmas is coming along so quickly, it is easy to over-indulge and give in to all the sweet treats available.

Whether it is tucking into too many mince pies, another tin of chocolates, a cheeky glass of wine every night or too many sugary drinks, your teeth will be the ones to suffer. Although these are all very tasty and it is easy to get swept up in the festivities, you need to understand all the negative effects that having too many sweet treats will have on your teeth. 

Good oral hygiene routines and regular visits to the dentist will help you maintain healthy teeth and gums. The best time to brush your teeth is after meals and brushing your teeth twice a day and flossing once a day will help lessen the damage done by all the sugar. Here are another few tips that can help your teeth during this Christmas season!

Use a Straw

Drinking alcoholic and soft drinks through a straw will help your teeth more than drinking straight from a can or a glass.

Eating Sweets With a Main Meal

Eating your sweet treats and desserts straight after a main meal will help you to not overindulge in them and due to the fact that we produce more saliva when we eat meals, it will be harder for sugar to have a destructive effect on your enamel.

Use a Fluoride Toothpaste.

Fluoride helps to harden your tooth enamel and reduces your risk of tooth decay.

Avoid using your teeth for anything other than chewing food!

You know when you just need that beer and you can’t find the bottle opener anywhere? DO NOT USE YOUR TEETH! Your teeth are not tools, you will risk chipping or even breaking your teeth.

Brush after sticky food!

Christmas pudding and mince pies, along with toffees and gummy sweets, put your teeth under constant attack. This is why, when eating sticky food, be sure to pay extra attention when brushing your teeth this festive season.

Parents should also pay close attention to check that their children are brushing sticky food from their teeth, especially before bedtime, no matter their excitement for Santa coming!

See Your Dentist for a Regular Check-up.

We recommend that after these festive holidays such as Halloween and Christmas, you should book an appointment with us just for a check-up to make sure your mouth remains healthy. You should also book an emergency appointment with us if you are experiencing any pain or bleeding gums.

Don’t forget the cheese board!

After the big festive feast be sure to save some space for the cheese board. Cheese is great for your teeth as it neutralises plaque acid, which helps prevent tooth decay. Cheese also releases chemical compounds that can form as a protective layer on your teeth which protects from acids that will attack your teeth enamel while you are distracted by all the Christmas presents!

Clean Your Teeth and Stick to Your Routine

It is very easy to get distracted and forget about your dental routine but that is the most important tip of all. You should brush your teeth twice a day for at last two minutes using a fluoride toothpaste. Flossing will help to remove sticky plaque from in between your teeth so do that at least once a day as well! 

Drinking Alcohol During Christmas 

Having a cheeky glass of wine while you are on the couch while watching a marathon of Christmas movies is all part of the festive fun! However, the sugar content mixed with the acidity in alcoholic drinks can soften the enamel of your teeth and can also increase your risk of developing oral cancer. 

Ensure that you brush your teeth twice a day, especially before bed. Make sure you use a fluoride toothpaste and remember, flossing is just as important as brushing! Rinsing your mouth out with mouthwash will help protect your teeth against acid erosion. Additionally, it will help protect your teeth against the effects of the amount of mixers you consume.

Book an Appointment With Us

We want all our patients to enjoy all the festivities this Christmas has to offer, just be sure to enjoy it all in moderation and brush your teeth after! 

Remember, if you have any mouth ulcers for more than two weeks that are red or white patches anywhere in the mouth or any lumps on the tongue, be sure to get it seen by your dentist. 

For information on coming to the Neem Tree during lockdown, click here.

More on Keeping Teeth Healthy at Christmas

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MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR FROM THE TEAM AT THE NEEM TREE DENTAL PRACTICE!