Keep Your Smile Merry and Bright

Enjoying your favorite holiday sweets on occasion is perfectly acceptable. However, balancing the excess sugar by incorporating more healthy foods in your diet will benefit your oral health. Eating more crunchy fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and lean meats will promote a clean, healthy smile.  

Steer clear of sticky, hard, or chewy sweets like candy canes, candied nuts, and caramels. These confections stick to the teeth, elevating the risk of tooth decay. Instead, choose soft sweets that easily wash away with saliva, like sugar cookies, sweet breads, or eggnog. 

The holiday hustle and bustle often disrupts our daily routines, but prioritizing daily oral care is a key defense against unwelcome tooth decay. Remember to brush your teeth twice a day and floss between each tooth at least once daily. By staying true to your oral care routine, you can look forward to a clean bill of health from your dentist in the New Year. 

Teeth are designed for chewing food, not opening gifts. Using your teeth as a tool to tear open a shipping parcel or present can be a one–way ticket to a dental emergency appointment for a cracked tooth. It is always worth it to take the time to find a pair of scissors to open stubborn packages.  

Festive drinks are often flowing at holiday gatherings. Still, it is important to be aware that dark soda, red wine, coffee, and fruit juices are prone to staining teeth. If you are not careful with your beverage choices, you may notice the hue of your teeth changing over the season. Stick to drinking light-colored beverages to ensure your teeth stay white and bright.  

Between holiday shopping, decorating, and spending time with loved ones, drinking enough water may become an afterthought. Nevertheless, maintaining proper hydration is crucial for your oral health. Hydration promotes a healthy saliva flow, which helps your mouth maintain a good pH balance, wash away excess bacteria and food particles, and freshen breath. Most people should aim to drink at least four to six cups of water a day to stay adequately hydrated. 

While it may be tempting to snack on a cookie tray or other seasonal treats that are around the house during the holidays, resist doing so throughout the day. Each time you consume high–sugar or carbohydrate foods, bacteria in the mouth produce acids that wear down tooth enamel. To minimize the daily exposure of acid to your teeth, try to only eat foods known to cause tooth decay right after your meals. 

Although snacking on most foods is not great for oral health, cheese is an exception. Cheese is rich in calcium and phosphorus, which is vital for bone health. Additionally, the casein and whey protein help strengthen enamel to protect against cavities. Nonetheless, it is important to choose your cheese wisely. Opt for minimally processed options like aged, soft-ripened, and blue cheeses. Beware of highly processed cheese products such as dips, sprays, and American cheese, as they can elevate the risk of cavities due to added sugars. 

Holiday parties often extend into the late hours of the night, and the last thing on most people’s minds when they return home is brushing their teeth. However, a practical solution is to bring an oral hygiene kit that includes a toothbrush, a small tube of toothpaste, and some floss to the event. You can discreetly slip away to the bathroom after you have finished eating for the night to freshen up your smile. As an added benefit, you can have peace of mind knowing you will not be the guest wandering around the party with spinach stuck between their teeth.