SCOTTS VALLEY, SANTA CRUZ CA
Christmas is a season where smiles abound, so it is crucial you know how to care for your teeth while spreading holiday cheer. You can indulge in your mom’s famous coffee cake or your grandmother’s homemade pie without feeling too guilty about the effects of sugar on your teeth with proper oral care. The Scotts Valley family-friendly dentists near you at Ebrahimian Integrative Dentistry provide eight oral health tips for Christmas so that you can enjoy holiday treats with less worry about your oral health.
Avoid Grazing
The abundance of food that accompanies the Christmas holiday can be tempting to eat throughout the day. However, continuously consuming food and beverages increases the risk of harmful bacteria, resulting in tooth enamel damage. Therefore, commit to having specific mealtimes such as breakfast, lunch, and dinner to minimize exposing your teeth to sugar and carbs that fuel oral bacteria.
Focus on the Event, Not on the Food
Whether home with your family or attending a small gathering of friends, what to eat can easily overcome the food’s purpose. Instead of focusing on the buffet, think of fun and entertaining activities such as board games, craft projects, or a holiday movie marathon to create memories and give your mouth a break from the holiday goodies. By remaining active and diverting your focus, you can help protect your oral health this Christmas.
Beverages can Stain Your Smile
Consuming red wine can stain your teeth, while white wine yields a lower risk of discoloration. When sipping red wine, eat a meal or snack on tooth-friendly vegetables and cheeses to reduce the risk of staining your teeth. Also, your favorite Christmas latte or holiday tea could jeopardize your teeth or cause staining too. Therefore, once you finish your beverage, the professional dentists in Los Gatos recommend brushing your teeth or rinsing your mouth with water to reduce staining.
Chose Fruit Instead
From rich side dishes to candy canes, sugar can cause extensive damage to your oral health. Therefore, choosing naturally sweetened fruit to satisfy your sweet tooth is best. Not only is it lower in sugar, but it provides natural vitamins and minerals that support your oral health and your body. Also, pair the fruit with a variety of cheeses that provide enamel building calcium for your teeth.
Protect Your Smile While Participating in Physical Activities
During the holiday season, some families like to play outdoor games like football or soccer. If you participate, you must protect your teeth by wearing a mouthguard. You can purchase a mouthguard at your local retail store that molds to the shape of your mouth. However, store-bought molds may not protect your mouth like a custom-fitted mouthguard from your local family dentists in Santa Cruz that provides protection against sudden impacts of the face or mouth.
Veggies are Your Friends
Although it is tempting to reach for trays filled with Christmas sweets, fill your plate with a healthier alternative like vegetables. Not only do veggies provide nourishing vitamins and minerals, but they also help by stimulating saliva, a natural way to rinse your mouth.
Practice Your Caroling
The American Dental Association (ADA) recommends brushing your teeth for a minimum of two minutes for an optimal clean. When you brush your teeth, two minutes can seem to take forever. But when you hum a few verses and choruses of your favorite holiday jingle while brushing your teeth, the time will seem to pass quickly. This is a handy and fun tip to share with your kids.
Be Cautious Eating Candy
Chewing hard or crunchy candy can chip, crack, or split your teeth resulting in an emergency dental visit. To reduce your risk of tooth damage when you choose to eat hard or crunchy candy, let it dissolve in your mouth. Once the candy is gone, the Santa Cruz family dentists advise you to brush your teeth if possible or rinse your mouth out with water if brushing is not an option.
Family Dentist in Los Gatos, Santa Cruz, and Scotts Valley, California
Maintaining a bright, healthy smile during the holidays may be challenging, but when you follow the above oral health tips, you can reduce the holiday season’s impact on your oral health. Practicing a regular oral health care regimen of brushing your teeth twice daily, flossing once daily, and visiting your Santa Cruz family dentists at Ebrahimian Integrative Dentistry for a checkup and cleaning is critical to protect your smile this Christmas season. Feel free to contact us today by calling (831) 438-4411 or request an appointment online.