Your Dental Christmas Survival Guide

When Christmas season is under-way, more than ever we are tempted by loads of treats that are difficult to resist and avoid. But there are some things you can do over Christmas to minimise the risk of dental decay with our dental Christmas survival guide. 

Here are our top 6 tips.

1. No matter how late or how tired you feel, don’t let your routine slip: always brush twice daily and floss whenever you can (once a day is ideal, but once a week is better than nothing.) Your teeth are being bombarded with sugar and acids that can lead to dental concerns so your dental hygiene is very important, especially with all the Christmas yummies.

2. Try hard to limit your snacking: it can seem like all you do is eat and drink over Christmas and Boxing Day so be mindful of what you are eating between meals. Try and stick to more teeth friendly options such as fresh fruit and vegetables, and make sure you drink plenty of water.

3. Some of our favourite Christmas faves have a lot of sugar: Christmas pudding, for example, is chock full of dried fruit which tends to stick to the teeth. Candy cane lollies are also one of the worst Christmas treats – they are sticky, sweet and tend to be sucked on and licked extending the acid and sugar exposure to the teeth. Choose more tooth friendly stocking fillers – sugar free lollies are a good start.

4. Be mindful of your choice of beverages: sugary soft drinks and that bottle of champagne has loads of sugar and acid that can damage your teeth and cause staining. Limit your consumption, drink water between glasses, and finish off with some cheese and nuts. The increased saliva production and calcium exposure will help neutralise sugars and acids to help protect your teeth and strengthen enamel.

5. Wait to brush: after an acid attack from foods and drinks the enamel is weakened and it can take up to 1 hour for the enamel to recover and strengthen. Brushing during this window will essentially brush away your enamel. So it is best to wait at least 30min after eating/drinking sugary/acidic foods and drinks before you brush.

6. Use a bottle opener – not your teeth! Your teeth are not tools and are designed for speaking, eating and smiling – don’t risk your teeth to open your beer or wine. And definitely don’t let a broken tooth ruin your Christmas.

The team at Taree Dental Care would like to wish you a very Merry Christmas and thank you for all your support during the year.   It’s been an absolute pleasure taking care of you this year.  See you in the clinic next year.