Monday, December 7, 2015

Smile Care During the Holidays

Smile Care During the Holidays
Taking care of your smile during the holidays is important for many reasons. For one thing, you want the brightest, healthiest smile for your holiday pictures and gatherings with family and friends. However, the holidays also often mean a busier schedule. This can make keeping up with your diligent oral hygiene habits difficult during the holiday season. Make sure you don’t neglect smile care during the holidays, eat right, and visit your dentist as scheduled.
Keeping Your Teeth White
The first thing you will want to do is keep your teeth looking their whitest. Aside from brushing and flossing regularly, there are some other things you can do to maintain your bright smile for holiday pictures.
Start by chewing foods that naturally remove stains from your teeth, such as celery, carrots and apples. There are also foods that prevent staining of the teeth, including green vegetables such as broccoli and spinach. These foods create a barrier over your teeth, reducing decay and staining. Finally, sip water after drinking red wine or coffee, as this can help to prevent staining.
Be Careful with the Sweets
Eating sweets and the holidays seem to go hand-in-hand. Unfortunately, sugar is also linked to bad breath, tooth decay, staining and gingivitis. Try to keep the sweets to a minimum, brush after eating a lot of sugary treats if you can, and drink plenty of water after eating a sweet.
The Importance of Nighttime Brushing
You already know to brush your teeth before going to bed every night, right? This routine is even more important during the holidays. If you have an extra cookie after dinner, don’t forget to brush your teeth before bedtime. Small morsels of that sugar-laden cookie can end up sticking to your teeth while you sleep, which can lead to tooth decay. Try to make it a point that you always brush your teeth before bed, so the sugar and food particles don’t remain on your teeth and gums overnight.
Visiting Your Dentist
If you have a routine dental visit scheduled during the holidays, don’t put it off because you’re too busy. Not only do you need the dental cleaning, but your dentist may notice oral health problems that need to be addressed. If you put off getting dental work, the issue can escalate and lead to a serious infection, when you might have just needed a simple procedure.
Taking good care of your smile during the holidays is about preventative care and paying close attention to what you eat and to your oral hygiene.

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