When you have a crowded holiday schedule, it can be hard to focus on keeping your teeth healthy, especially with all the extra sweet treats to enjoy. But even during this festive time of the year, you need to be vigilant if you want to stay cavity free. To keep your smile bright during the holiday season, try to keep these 4 tips in mind.
1. Stick to Your Oral Hygiene Routine
After coming home late from a holiday party or a long day of shopping or traveling, the idea of skipping your regular dental health routine to go to bed might cross your mind. Don’t make that mistake! No matter how busy you are, you should always be making time to brush twice a day and floss at least once. In particular, you need to make sure your mouth is clean before you fall asleep; otherwise, harmful oral bacteria and sugar left on your teeth will have all night to cause damage.
2. Don’t Overindulge on Sweets
There’s no end of sweet treats to enjoy this time of year, whether it’s homemade gingerbread cookies or a slice of pumpkin pie. But all the extra sugar could easily result in an emergency trip to the dentist to have a cavity treated, and that could put a damper on your holiday spirit! Be careful not to go overboard on the sugary snacks during the day. Try limiting them to during or after meals; that way, there will be plenty of saliva in your mouth to help clean your pearly whites and lower the risk of dental damage.
3. Choose Your Treats Carefully
Some sweets are safer for your smile than others. Dark chocolate, for example, contains less sugar than milk chocolate and won’t stick to your teeth, so it will have less of a negative impact on your oral health. In general, you should try to avoid hard candies such as candy canes or sticky treats such as caramels, as they tend to stay in the mouth for a long time.
4. Be Proactive
If you do enjoy a holiday treat, don’t wait until later to clean your pearly whites. Brush or rinse your mouth right away to get rid of leftover sugar and bacteria. You might also consider using some fluoride mouthwash to help strengthen your teeth’s enamel, which can go a long way towards helping them withstand the rigors of the holidays.
Above everything else, be prepared; even after taking the right precautions, you could still end up with a cavity. Make an appointment with your dentist in Jacksonville as soon as possible; the earlier a cavity is addressed, the quicker and easier treatment will be. Take the initiative in protecting your oral health during the holidays, and you’ll be able to greet the new year with a brilliant smile!
About Jacksonville Complete Dentistry
At Jacksonville Complete Dentistry, Dr. Rose Johnson and Dr. Wayne Barker combine their experience and education to bring their patients the best preventive care available. They offer a wide menu of state-of-the-art dental care options under one roof for your convenience. To schedule a holiday appointment to stay cavity-free, you can visit their website or call (904) 645-6457.