Christmas Oral Health Tips

Christmas is traditionally a time of year for celebration, togetherness and inevitably overindulgence.  With everywhere from the supermarket to the corner shop stocking a wide array of sugar and fat laden festive produce, it can be hard to resist the temptation, but could all this feasting be doing long lasting damage to your teeth?

Here we share some advice so that you can keep your teeth in great shape over Christmas:

Beware the sugar stretch

One of the biggest problems to teeth over the Christmas period is the fact that they are constantly under attack as we tend to eat and drink all of the wrong kinds of things, in succession and often for a period of several days.  Fizzy drinks, dried fruits, chocolates and mince pies are just a few festive favourites that put your teeth in the danger zone, so it won’t hurt to say no occasionally.  Remember it is not the quantity you consume that does your teeth most harm, but the frequency with which you consume these sweet treats, so stick to once or twice a day to give your teeth a break.

Don’t ditch the daily dental routine

The only thing that runs to schedule over the festive period is Father Christmas, but that doesn’t mean that you can become sloppy with your brushing and flossing.  Just because you can enjoy lie ins, late evenings and meals around the clock, doesn’t mean that your teeth have to suffer.  As long as you remember to brush your teeth twice and day and floss regularly, you will help protect your teeth and gums from the damaging effects of overindulgence.

Choose cheese

It is welcome news for cheese lovers that this Christmas favourite is actually good for your teeth.   Cheese helps to restore the natural acid balance in your mouth and can reduce your chances of developing tooth decay.  So, when the cheeseboard arrives at the end of the meal, say yes, as even just a small cube can help to neutralise acid and protect your teeth.

Fizz in a fix

If you love a glass or two of fizz, then the headlines earlier this year about ‘Prosecco teeth’ probably won’t have escaped you.  This was the revelation that sparkling wines are causing damage to our teeth due to the sugar, acidity and carbonation.  To limit the effects, we advise that you drink with your meal to dilute the acidic effect and don’t brush your teeth for an hour after drinking.

Above all, the key thing to remember is to enjoy yourself.  As long as you do so in moderation and keep up your excellent daily oral health routine, we won’t be seeing you any time soon for a filling!

With all our best wishes for a happy and healthy Christmas,

The JDRM Dental Care team

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