We don’t want any of our valued patients to suffer any dental emergencies over the festive season. We are sure you don’t want to spend even a minute of your precious summer holidays in the dentist’s chair. To keep your teeth in top shape this summer, read below to learn some helpful tips for maintaining good oral hygiene over the holidays.
Taking care of oral hygiene during the holiday season can prevent dental issues from happening. When you indulge in festive foods and drinks, you are exposing your teeth to sugars and acids that can lead to cavities. To prevent cavities from happening, there are a few simple steps you can take.
Keep Your Mouth Clean!
Before you leave the house, make sure you brush and floss your teeth. If you have to skip this step for some reason, you should rinse your mouth with water to remove any food particles. This will help wash away the acid and sugar that can build up on your teeth. It will also protect your enamel from damage.
If you are not able to brush and floss, try chewing sugarless gum. Chewing gum will boost your saliva, which will help wash away acids and food particles from your teeth. This will reduce the amount of plaque that can build up. You should also use an interdental brush to clean your teeth.
Tips For Tooth Care While Travelling
If you have a hectic schedule, you may not be able to brush and floss your teeth as often as you should. If you don’t have the time to brush and floss, you should always carry a travel-sized bottle of mouthwash with you to rinse your mouth. A mouthwash with fluoride can help strengthen your teeth and fight cavity formation.
When you are travelling, be sure to pack a travel-sized bottle of mouthwash, a toothbrush, and toothpaste. You can also purchase a water bottle to keep yourself hydrated while traveling. You should drink eight glasses of water each day to help keep your teeth and gums healthy.
If you are travelling with kids, it is important to monitor their dental hygiene. During the holidays, you should remind them to brush their teeth after meals as well as before going to bed. You should also make sure to schedule dental checkups for the new year.
Stay Away From Too Many Sugary Snacks
During the holidays, it is common to consume a lot of sweets. These sugars and acids can erode your tooth enamel, causing cavities and even bad breath. The excess sugars in these foods can also lead to tooth discolouration. To prevent this, you should eat meals that provide your teeth with minerals that help neutralise the sugars. If you need to eat sugary snacks during the day, make sure to eat them during meals instead of between meals.
Avoiding hard candies and other foods that break your teeth is also very important during the holidays. The same is true for red wine. It can stain your teeth and make them feel sticky. If you drink a lot of alcohol, you are also at a higher risk for gum disease. You should brush and floss your teeth after drinking.
Schedule Your Annual Dental Appointments
Since you know you should see the dentist at least twice a year for a full clean and checkup, why not just make the appointments while you are thinking about it? One for January, one for July, and then you are done for the year!
How Can We Help?
Broadly, our advice for maintaining good dental health over the holidays involves sticking to your dental care routine, keeping yourself hydrated, and avoiding too much damaging food. To make sure you are heading into the holidays with healthy teeth and gums, we suggest scheduling a quick checkup before the silly season hits, especially if you have any concerns about the state of your teeth. It is far better to preemptively deal with any potential problems than wait for them to become emergencies!
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