Christmas comes with lots of delicious treats, joy, and laughter. However, it can also be a tricky time when it comes to maintaining oral health. When indulging in these Christmas treats, it is vital to remember that excessive sugar and certain holiday habits can negatively impact your dental health.
Fortunately, this blog will offer some crucial tips to help you enjoy Christmas treats without damaging your teeth.
People indulge in several Christmas delights, such as cookies. Candies, rich desserts, and many more. However, these sugary delights can harm your teeth in various ways.
Stick Residue: Treats such as caramel stick to teeth, making it harder to remove sugar through brushing.
Sugar Feeds Bacteria: Sugar fuels harmful bacteria in your mouth. This causes the production of acid that causes cavities and erodes enamel.
Hard Candies: If bitten carelessly, these can cause chips or crack teeth.
Here are some vital tips that can help you protect your smile while indulging.
All treats are not the same. You must select tooth-friendly options such as dark chocolate, sugar-free gum or candies, nuts, and cheese platters.
Dark chocolate, unlike other chocolate options. Contain less sugar and dissolve fast. On the other hand, sugar-free candies or gum can satisfy your sweet tooth without harming it. Besides these, nuts and cheese platters are low in sugar. Moreover, they can help neutralize acids in your mouth.
Rinse your mouth with water after indulging in sugary delights. With this simple step, you can wash away acids and residual sugars. It will minimize their impact on your enamel.
You must avoid prolonged snacking while enjoying your favorite Christmas treats. When you eat sweets all day, your teeth get exposed to sugar. It increases the risk of decay. You can reserve treats for special moments, like after meals, to reduce the impact.
Consider avoiding harmful treats like hard candies, sticky sweets, etc. These candies are capable of cracking teeth and prolonging sugar exposure as they dissolve. Moreover, Gummy candies or caramels cling to teeth. Besides that, they are harder to clean. Therefore, steering clear of these types of Christmas treats is beneficial.
Brush your teeth twice daily using fluoride toothpaste. It will help strengthen your enamel. You must floss regularly. With this, you can easily remove food particles between your teeth. Brush after eating sweets or meals if possible. It will reduce sugar exposure.
You can swap sugary beverages such as hot chocolate, eggnog, and soda for water. Water keeps you hydrated. Moreover, it helps rinse sugars away and stimulate saliva production. All these naturally protect your teeth.
Professional dental checkups before and after the holidays are the best way to get a healthy mouth. Our dentist in Oklahoma City can help you to get a strong and confident smile. Having years of experience and expertise, our dental professionals can offer you the best treatments to meet your needs. Call us now.