Our 4 top tips to help protect your teeth over Christmas 2022

There’s a whole host of reasons to look forward to Christmas, but for countless people across the UK, the festive food is definitely one of the top highlights. There are all sorts of seasonal treats at Christmas that we tend not to enjoy at any other time of year, from Christmas pudding and Yule logs to maybe a sneaky Snowball or two for the adults.

As with all the best things in life though, they’re all things to consume in moderation – so as experts in dental treatments here at AP Smilecare, we thought we’d share a word or two of advice on how to enjoy them while preventing lasting damage to your teeth!

Brush your teeth after sticky foods

Some of the most enjoyable Christmas foods are undeniably the stickier treats, such as Christmas pudding or sticky toffee. And unfortunately, it’s that stickiness that gives them greater potential for damaging your teeth, as they can be harder to remove and cause plaque to form more quickly and easily.

To avoid that scenario, we’d always recommend taking care to brush your teeth at least twice every day – and don’t skip any mornings or evenings! (It’s not just a rule for children by the way; if you’re indulging in a bit of mulled wine or similar drinks as an adult, these can also easily start to stain your teeth if you’re not brushing properly.)

Take the time to clean your teeth properly

Lots of people make the mistake of cleaning their teeth for too little time, which prevents them from getting the full benefit of brushing. It takes at least two minutes to give them a proper clean. As an adult you can easily time this with a stopwatch or the timer on your phone, for it’s something that (understandably) seems to take an absolute age for very young children, so it can help to think of some fun ways you can help them measure the time.

You can get dedicated two-minute timers to help children know how long they’ve been brushing their teeth for – although it’s not the most thrilling Christmas present, let’s be honest, so if you’re thinking about getting one maybe make a bonus gift in the stocking rather than the main one. Alternatively, you can just find a favourite song of theirs that’s roughly two minutes long. Those are just a couple of suggestions – you may have your own ideas!

Don’t open anything with your teeth

Yes, it might look very impressive for your assembled family, and some people view it as a very handy way of cracking open a festive beer when there’s no bottle opener to be found – but it’s no secret that it can be hugely risky for your teeth. What’s more, we’d say it’s a risk that’s not worth taking. It can be far easier to crack your teeth doing this then most people realise, and while we do offer emergency dental care here at AP Smilecare, arranging an appointment can be more awkward over the festive season – which can be especially frustrating for patients if the cause of the issue was something avoidable.

Love your cheeseboard

Here’s the kind of culinary Christmas tradition we can fully get behind here at AP Smilecare! That’s because it’s not nearly as bad for your teeth as so many other Christmas foods. Quite the opposite, in fact – cheese is great for your teeth as it effectively neutralises plaque acid, which helps to prevent tooth decay. What’s more, it also increases the amount of saliva, which is your body’s way of maintaining a healthy pH balance in your mouth. So here’s one festive favourite that you can feel free to indulge in to your heart’s content! (Or until you’re full, we suppose.)

Whatever festive foods you’re planning on laying on over the winter season, here at AP Smilecare we wish you a very Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year! If you’re thinking about contacting us for any of our dental treatments in December, don’t hesitate to contact the practice on 01254 297 000. Our opening hours over Christmas are:

24th December – 27th December – Closed
28th December – 30th December – Open
31st December – 2nd January – Closed
3rd of January – Open

We hope to see you soon!