The holiday season brings plenty of reasons to smile in Babylon, but it also brings plenty of risks to your oral health. However, it’s still possible to enjoy all your favorite holiday traditions without harming your teeth. Use these practical holiday dental tips from Babylon Dental Care to keep your smile bright all the way through New Year’s morning and beyond.
Why Holiday Dental Care Matters More Than You Think
When you think of the holiday season, it’s unlikely your mind goes right to oral health. However, this time of year is notoriously unkind to teeth. All those festive foods and sweet treats can quickly lead to cavities. To make matters worse, that busy holiday schedule makes it far easier to slack on your oral hygiene.
Dental care during the holidays doesn’t have to be a stressful chore. You just need to understand how seasonal traditions pose increased risk to your smile, and some little ways you can mitigate that risk.
Common Holiday Habits That Can Harm Your Teeth
If you want to know how to avoid cavities during the holidays, you first need to know all the things that cause them during this time of year. The following common holiday habits pose the most significant risk to your oral health:
Eating Sugary Treats
Cookies, candies, pastries, cakes, eggnog, and all the rest may make the holidays merrier, but they also harm your teeth. Sugar feeds harmful oral bacteria, which produce acids that erode enamel. Without proper care, you may wake up to more cavities than gifts on Christmas morning.
Enjoying Festive Alcoholic Beverages
The holidays are a time to unwind and celebrate. For many, that means enjoying some alcoholic beverages. Alcohol can weaken enamel and dry out your mouth, increasing the risk of cavities and gum disease. Festive drinks like hot buttered rum and spiked eggnog also come packed with sugar, compounding these risks.
Increased Hard Food Consumption
Festive eating and dental health are at odds in more ways than one. Holiday parties mean plenty of snacks, including hard foods like peanut brittle or candy canes. Chewing these foods puts pressure on your teeth. In excess, they can cause chips or cracks that leave your teeth vulnerable to decay.
Getting Swept Up in the Holiday Rush
Schedules are rarely busier than during the holiday season. Whether you’re shopping for gifts, attending social gatherings, or spending time at your company holiday party, it’s easy to lose track of your oral hygiene. Combined with the increased sugar and alcohol consumption, this can spell disaster for your smile.
Dentist-Approved Tips for Maintaining Oral Hygiene During the Holidays
You don’t have to forego your favorite holiday traditions to protect your smile. Just follow these dentist-approved holiday oral care tips to strike the perfect balance between festive fun and cavity prevention:
Brush Twice a Day, Every Day
You should always brush twice a day, every day, but it’s more essential than ever during the holidays. Be sure to brush for two full minutes. Holiday travel dental care is critical, too, so pack a compact dental kit with everything you need.
Moderate Your Sugary Treats
You can still enjoy holiday sweets, but do so mindfully. Try to limit them to mealtimes rather than constant snacking to give your teeth some reprieve. Rinsing with water after consuming a sugary treat can help wash away sugar particles as well.
Choose Healthy Holiday Snacks for Teeth
Tooth-friendly holiday snacks do exist, and many of them are delicious. Mix in some cheese, apples, berries, and raw vegetables to reduce sugar intake. Cheese offers the added bonus of balancing pH levels in the mouth, protecting your precious enamel.
Avoid Too Many Sugary Beverages
You don’t need to skip the soda, fruit juice, and holiday mixed drinks entirely, but moderation is key. The high sugar content in these drinks creates some of the biggest risks to your oral health during the holidays. Balance them out with some unsweetened beverages to protect your smile.
Drink Plenty of Water
Water can wash away sugar from your mouth, so it is a perfect complement to your holiday season dental hygiene. Not only that, but staying hydrated can prevent cavity-causing dry mouth caused by those holiday cocktails.
See Your Dentist After the Holidays
Your dentist can offer some crucial post-holiday dental checkup advice and catch any early signs of oral health issues before they develop into something worse. Schedule an appointment for just after the season winds down.
Contact Babylon Dental Care Today
We hope these tips help you enjoy your holidays without posing too much risk to your beautiful smile. Come see the team at Babylon Dental Care for a post-holiday checkup to ensure your oral health is in perfect shape. Call (631) 983-6665 or reach out online today to schedule your appointment. Happy holidays!