‘Tis the season as the holidays have arrived, bringing with them a plethora of seasonal foods and drinks that are making appearances at work, at home, and practically everywhere you go. With the festivities, changes to your schedule are inevitable due to travel, attending holiday parties, and preparing for the arrival of loved ones in town. The notion that the holiday season is detrimental to your smile is a common belief, but is it genuinely accurate? Delve into this reading to unravel three reasons why the holidays might exert a toll on your oral health.
#1: Eating Too Many Sweet Treats
Numerous holiday-associated foods are laden with sugar, including eggnog, candy canes, chocolate, caramel, and gingerbread cookies. From Halloween through New Year’s Day, your smile encounters a continuous onslaught of sweets without much respite. Regrettably, this constant exposure can leave your smile in less than optimal condition as the new year begins.
While avoiding these foods entirely is the most effective means of preventing oral health issues, you need not forego seasonal delicacies solely for the sake of your smile. Instead, exercise selectivity in your choices. Rather than indulging in every office sweet your coworkers present, opt for your favorites. This approach enables you to partake in seasonal delights without compromising your dental well-being.
#2: All-Day Snacking
Beyond sugar, there’s another concern to keep in mind this holiday season. The quantity and frequency of your food intake can also influence the well-being of your smile. This is attributed to the increase in mouth acidity that occurs during eating. As acid attacks tooth enamel, rendering it weaker, regular snacking heightens the vulnerability of your pearly whites to decay.
While the temptation to sample foods during cooking is understandable, you can mitigate acid overload by restricting eating to designated meal times. Additionally, after your meal, consider having a glass of water to effectively clear away food particles and neutralize acids, contributing to better oral health.
#3: Keep Up with Your Oral Hygiene
The holiday season often disrupts our regular schedules, posing a challenge to maintaining consistent oral hygiene. Consequently, your smile may face the consequences. Creating a dental travel kit, equipped with a toothbrush, dental floss, mouthwash, and toothpaste, can be a practical solution. This ensures you can uphold your oral hygiene routine regardless of where your day leads you.
The holiday season brings joy and excitement, but it’s essential not to let the festivities compromise your dental care. Here are three tips to equip you with the knowledge needed to safeguard your pearly whites throughout the entire season!
About the Practice
Olberding Dental stands out as the optimal choice for safeguarding your smile during the holiday season and beyond with a skilled team of oral health experts. Devoted to enhancing patients’ smiles, they provide a wide array of treatments and valuable advice on maintaining dental well-being. With their assistance, you can enjoy spending time with your family during the holidays to the fullest. To schedule an appointment or learn more about their services, reach out to Olberding Dental at (402) 488-2325 or visit their website.