Look after your teeth at Christmas: Our top tips!
Christmas is the one time of year where we have a free pass to indulge and treat ourselves. While the season is certainly one to celebrate, it’s important to look after yourself too. With this in mind, we thought we’d share some of our top dental care tips for keeping your teeth in tiptop condition throughout the Christmas and New Year festivities.
Tip 1 – Beware of the mince pies
Mince pies, cakes and puddings may be a Christmas favourite, but they’re not the best choice for your teeth. Laden with dried fruit, which is high in sugar, these seasonal puds won’t do your teeth or your waistline much good! ‘Tis the season to celebrate, so don’t ditch all the festivities – just try and stick to the puddings on Christmas Day – as opposed to every day!
Tip 2 – Don’t ditch the routine
With sugary foods, sugary pop, and alcohol flowing freely over the Christmas period, it’s common for our teeth to take a bit of a battering. Make sure you keep up your dental routine – brushing and flossing regularly – and don’t let you little ones get away with skipping it either!
Tip 3 – Get out the cheeseboard
While we may suggest to limit the consumption of some foods, cheese isn’t one of them! Cheese helps to return the mouth to its natural acid balance and helps reduce the chances of developing tooth decay. That’s why tucking into the cheeseboard post-dinner is a great idea.
Tip 4 – Use the bottle opener
If your party trick is to open a bottle of beer with your teeth, or if you’re always biting open the crisp packet, you’re actually doing your teeth more harm than good. The last thing you want is a pricey, emergency trip to the dentist to repair chipped teeth. Do yourself a favour and invest in a bottle opener – it’s so much easier and better for your teeth!
Tip 5 – Limit your consumption of stain-causing foods and drink
Red wine, coffee, fizzy drinks and cigarettes are all renowned for staining teeth. Unfortunately, they’re all popular during this time of the year too, as we relax and let our hair down a little. Do remember that what you choose to eat and drink will have an impact on your dental health – so think twice before tucking into your third glass of red wine for the day!
Whatever your plans are this Christmas, we hope you have a good one and a wonderful start to 2016. We look forward to seeing you all in the New Year!