The holiday season is coming and thousands of people are getting prepared. You’re probably packing gifts and scheduling parties day by day. But are you thinking about the ways to safeguard your teeth and oral health? If not, then you should stop for a while and rethink.
Your teeth are important, just like the holidays. Just remember: holidays come and go but your teeth will always stay at your mouth.
Here are some important habits that will ensure the safety of your teeth during holidays:
Mind Your Teeth and Control Your Portions
Portion control is not just safe for your teeth but for your overall health as well. Don’t eat one whole ham in just an hour, but simply go for slices. After that, you should try other foods and do your portion control as well.
Through portion control, you’d be doing your teeth a favour. However, portion control will defeat itself against time. How long can you resist a Christmas banquet if you’re in the party for more than 6 hours? In that case, you must try other dental hygiene techniques.
Watch Your Drinks
Drinks are some of the main culprits of tooth decay and enamel destruction. The average soda is a full-time sugar bomb and the concentrated orange juice is not exempted as well. Before you chug down a drink, observe it for a minute and create a mental limit of one glass (or two glasses).
Alcoholic drinks are less sugary but their acids are worse. Again, limitation is your real key to oral health improvement. Don’t conquer that tequila on your own.
Be Selective With Sweets
Sweets are not good for your teeth, as instructed by dentists and oral health experts. But it’s the holidays, so we all get a pass for eating many sweets and delightful meals. If you’re concerned about your teeth, you’d be more selective with this ‘sweet pass.’
To a certain degree, all sweets are the same. You can eat five candies or two Snicker bars in 15 minutes but the after-effects won’t be noticeable – at least for your teeth. The real important thing is the average time you’ve spent eating those sweets. It’s advisable not to eat many sweets and sugary delights in one sitting. Eat a handful throughout the day and don’t forget to munch on healthier meals.
Do A Water Rinse
Would you believe that the normal tap water is enough to cleanse your teeth? You don’t need to brush immediately after a meal. It’s better to gargle with one cup of water to loosen the acids and wait for approximately 30 minutes. After that, you can now brush your teeth.
Water rinsing will also help you feel more relaxed and confident. If you feel jittery during a holiday party, simply excuse yourself and rinse away with water.
Mouthwash is Not Your BFF
Since mouthwash has become too common, you can now find it anywhere. Very likely, you’ve brought a mouthwash before Christmas. While mouthwash is great for soothing your breath and making you comfortable, it’s not a long-term solution.
If you use mouthwash often, your teeth will be loaded with acids and other strong chemicals. This can lead to mouth dryness, soreness, and gum infection. Of course using mouthwash is not illegal – you just need to do it moderately. Try to use organic DIY rinse as a major substitute to mouthwash. If you do it that way, your teeth can withstand many holiday parties over the years.
Final Reminders – Teeth Care is Continuous!
Caring for your teeth doesn’t stop even during Christmas. As long as you practice the best oral hygiene methods, you have nothing to worry about. Otherwise, you should double-up on your personal teeth care!
Contact our dental office to schedule a checkup or for any other of our dental services.