Keep Your Oral Health Intact During the Holidays
The holidays are filled with social gatherings, delicious food, and drinks along with lots of sweets that can be found at every event. It seems there’s not much time to stick to your oral health with all the flurry of activities. Following are some simple dental tips to help you enjoy the holidays without compromising your oral health. With some planning on your part, you can get through the holidays with your oral health intact.
Following are a few tips for keeping your mouth and teeth healthy during the holiday parties and gatherings.
Grazing is a Problem
Holiday parties often have a large variety of food to choose from. Grazing at the party smorgasbord puts your teeth at a bigger risk for decay. If the party consists of snacks, vs. a sit-down dinner, plan-ahead to limit yourself to a single plate of food. The ongoing barrage of food exposes your teeth to more sugar.
Choose Fruit and Vegetables to Keep Your Teeth Health
Often, the variety of foods include fruits and veggies. Fruit can satisfy your need for sweets and veggies offer the element of crunchiness that is satisfying to eat. If you are focusing on socializing at the party and enjoying the other guests, your need to indulge in foods that are harmful to your oral and physical health may subside.
Cheese and Meat Trays are a Good Option
Charcuterie boards are very trendy now, which provides a variety of meats and cheeses to choose from. If you drink an alcoholic drink or a soft drink, eating cheese will help neutralize the acids in these beverages. Cheese and meats contain calcium and protein that benefits your tooth health, and help your body fight tooth decay which will help keep your teeth healthy and strong, and they are satisfying as a party snack.
Red Wine Can Stain Your Beautiful Smile
Choose white wine and avoid the stains that red wine leaves on your teeth. All wine is acidic, which puts your tooth enamel at risk, so limit how much you drink. Soft drinks can also damage your teeth due to the acidic qualities. Regular soft drinks are acidic and contain sugar, and diet soft drinks can cause substantial harm to tooth enamel because of the acid they contain. Water is hard to beat as far as beverages go. It’s good for your waistline and your gum line.
Avoid Candy
Do your best to avoid eating candy such as caramels. Sticky candy is known for pulling out fillings, damaging bridge work, and it can be worse for teeth than eating cake and cookies. Sucking on candy is among the worst things you can do for your teeth. The amount of time your teeth are exposed to sugar is a major factor in developing cavities.
Sugarless Gum is Good for Your Teeth
You don’t have to skip holiday treats altogether. Instead, eat a single dessert and if you can, brush your teeth afterwards. If you can’t find a way to brush your teeth in a social setting, rinse your mouth with water and chew a piece of sugarless gum.
Regular Dentist Appointments
To maintain good oral health, have regular appointments with Dr. Angela S. Evanson, DDS. Professional cleanings every six-months will help prevent plaque buildup, which if not treated, can lead to tooth decay and gum disease. Call (720) 409-0008 or contact her online to make an appointment.
It’s not reasonable to think you can get through all the holidays without eating any sweets, but with some pre-planning, you can keep your oral health intact and gather with friends and family during this special time of year.
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