The holiday season is under-way and now more than ever we are tempted by chocolate sweets and bubbly treats that at this time of year are difficult to resist and avoid. But there are some things you can do this Christmas time to minimise the risk of dental decay in the New Year with our Dental Christmas Survival Guide.
1. Don’t let your routine slip: continue to brush twice daily with fluoride toothpaste and floss once a day. Your teeth are being bombarded with sugar and acids that can lead to dental concerns.
2. Limit snacking: it can seem like all you do is eat and drink over Christmas and Boxing Day so be mindful of what you are eating between meals. Try and stick to more tooth friendly options such as fresh fruit and vegetables, cheese, low sugar ypghurts and make sure you drink plenty of water
3. Some of our most favourite Christmas time treats have sugar: Christmas pudding if often forgotten but the dried fruits in this favourite dessert are chock full of it and tend to stick to the teeth. Candy canes are one of the worst Christmas treat culprits- they are sticky, sweet and tend to be sucked on and licked extending the acid and sugar exposure to the teeth. Choose more tooth friendly stocking fillers- sugar free lollies, sugar free gum.
4. Be careful with your choice of beverage: soft drinks and yes that bottle of champagne or wine is full of sugar and acid that can damage your teeth and cause staining. Limit consumption, drink water between glasses and finish off with some cheese and nuts. The increased saliva production and calcium exposure will help neutralise sugars and acids to help protect your teeth and strengthen enamel.
5. Wait to brush: after acid attack from foods and drinks the enamel is weakened and it can take up to 1 hour for the enamel to recover and strengthen. Brushing this window will essentially brush away your enamel.
It is best to wait 30min-1hour after eating/drinking sugary/acidic foods and drinks before brushing.
6. Use a bottle opener- not your teeth! Your teeth are not tools and are designed for speaking, eating and smiling- don’t risk that to open your beer or wine. Don’t let a broken tooth ruin your Christmas.
Christmas is a time to spend with family and friends and indulge- but remember MODERATION is best!
If you would like to give the gift of good dental health to family and friends this year- we hope you find some inspiration with our Christmas Gift Ideas. We are open until Christmas Eve 4pm with plenty of stock to help with last minute dental gifts!
The team at Dentalspa Geelong would like to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and thank you for the support and loyalty you show us at Dentalspa Geelong. We will be closing down for a few days over the Christmas period from 25th December until the 4th January, 2015. If you have a dental emergency during this time, please call our office on (03) 5223 1555 for dental emergency contact details. We look forward to seeing you in 2015!
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