5 Tips to Protect Your Holiday Smile
Darren Levitt
The holiday season can be a magical time of year, filled with joy, fun, and family. For your teeth, however, the holidays can be pretty tough. What with all the festive goodies and seasonal sweets, your pearly whites may undergo a bit more wear and tear than usual.
If you’re concerned about maintaining optimal dental hygiene during the holiday season, we welcome you to make an appointment with either of our dental practices: Carmel Valley Dentist Office and Little Star Pediatric Dentistry are both conveniently located here in the Merge Carmel Valley shopping center.
Additionally, we’re happy to provide a few quick tips on protecting your smile from now through the end of the season.
5 Ways to Protect Your Smile This Holiday Season
Be judicious in your candy consumption. Remember that any foods that are high in sugar can have a corrosive impact on your teeth. That doesn’t mean you have to forgo holiday goodies altogether, but maybe pick one particular time of day to enjoy your sweets, then brush immediately thereafter.
Don’t use your teeth the wrong way. Nobody wants to spend Christmas nursing a cracked tooth or getting emergency dental surgery. One way to avoid this fate is to refrain from any illicit use of your teeth. That is, don’t use your teeth to open packaging, to cut ribbons, to crack nuts, etc.
Maintain some calcium intake. Make sure your diet includes calcium and phosphorus, which can help strengthen your teeth and also balance out some of the acidic effects of alcohol and soft drinks. Even hitting up the cheese plate at your holiday gathering can be a smart move.
Stay on top of your routine dental habits. Yes, the holiday season can be busy. And yes, it can be stressful. But as you try to cram as much goodness as you can into each day, be sure you don’t neglect twice-daily brushing, flossing, and mouthwash use. These basic oral hygiene habits can go a long way toward preserving that smile.
Honor your dental appointments. Spending an afternoon in the dentist’s chair may not be the most fun way to spend holiday break. With that said, routine cleanings and checkups go a long way toward preserving your oral health. Don’t skip or reschedule appointments just because it’s a busier season. Honor those appointments, then hopefully you’ll be good to go for a few months!
Find a Dentist in the Carmel Valley Area
As you consider ways to safeguard your smile over the holiday season, make sure you have a dental provider who can guide you, and who can perform cleanings and checkups as needed.
If you’re looking for a dentist in the Carmel Valley area, either for yourself or your child, make sure you reach out to our tenants here at Merge!