How to keep your teeth and gums fresh and healthy this season…
With the festive season firmly upon us, it’s time to get stocked up on Christmas goodies and spoil our loved ones. But as we prepare for the most wonderful time of the year and look forward to treating ourselves to a barrage of sweets, selection boxes and mince pies, we also need to spare a thought for our teeth and gums.
Of course, it’s only fair that we let ourselves go a little but excessive eating and drinking can make this time of year an unpleasant experience for our gnashers if we don’t look after them properly.
Here at Ewan Bramley Dental Care – a leading Newcastle dental practice– we understand that indulging in Christmas treats is hard to resist over the Christmas period but if we go overboard our oral health will suffer.
In this article, we take a look at how you can enjoy yourself over the festivities and keep your teeth in tip-top shape. Did you know, for instance, that cranberries, the essential condiment for your Christmas Turkey dinner, actually has a beneficial effect on our teeth? Yes, it’s true! Scientists have proven that if you enjoy cranberry sauce in moderation it can help prevent tooth decay and gum disease, But if you overdo it, it can also be harmful to our pearly whites due to its high acid content. Moderation, as is the case for most things in life, is key people!
Ewan Bramley Dental Care want all of our patients to have an amazing time of it this Christmas, and the last thing we want to do is be a dental Scrooge, but if you follow our whistle-stop Christmas guide below, your teeth will start the New Year on a positive note.
Beware of Christmas cake and mince pies!
Most of us can’t get enough of traditional Christmas desserts like Christmas cake, pudding and mince pies, but remember they’re chock full of dried fruit which contains an extremely high sugar content. If you gorge yourself on them the sugar will stick to your teeth and attack them. Make sure you don’t overeat.
Stick to your dental routine
We all take our eyes off the ball a little over Christmas but one of the worst things we can do for our teeth and gums is to forget our normal routine and skip brushing and flossing. Our teeth take something of a butchering this time of year as a result of excessive snacking on things like sweets, chocolates and other sugary foods. Make sure you and your family brush before you go to bed, even if you’ve fallen asleep on the couch and can’t be bothered to make it to the bathroom. Your teeth will thank you in the morning.
Don’t forget to say cheese!
Even though cheese has a high fat content, it’s actually really good for our teeth and gums. Instead of over doing it on sweets, make sure you mix it up a little and enjoy your favourite cheeses too. Cheese after a meal, for example, will help maintain your mouth’s natural balance of acid thanks to its alkaline makeup.
Always use the bottle opener, not your teeth
You’d be amazed at how many dental emergencies we’ve had to tend to over the years as a result of people using their teeth to open bottles. This is a really dangerous idea! Your teeth most certainly aren’t designed for this kind of thing even if it is your favourite party trick. Teeth can be chipped, broken and lost really easily so always use the bottle opener if you want to avoid an unexpected and painful trip to the dentist on Christmas Day.
Moderation is key
Above all else, moderation is the key ingredient to having a safe and healthy Christmas. We want you to have a royal time of it this December, and there’s nothing wrong with enjoying festive food and drink as long as you don’t overindulge. Remember, it’s not how much you eat and drink; it’s how often you do it. It’s fine to have that extra sweet or beer, but next time they come around there’s nothing wrong with having a glass of water instead of another festive fizz.
