Caring For Your Dental Health During The Holidays
You are not alone if you struggle to maintain healthy dental habits during the holiday season. The holiday season brings with it a lot of sweets, from candies to beverages. On top of that, late-night parties and irregular sleep can break our brushing and flossing habits.
In this blog, we’ll talk about how you can enjoy the holidays to their fullest while caring for your oral health.
1. Use an electric brush
There are two persuasive reasons to switch to an electric toothbrush. First, electric toothbrushes are more effective in cleaning food particles. The second advantage makes it ideal for the holidays as a potential gift item and to help manage dental health. Lastly, an electric toothbrush works effectively on the plaque in a fraction of the time with minimal effort. With an electric toothbrush, many are equipped with a built-in timer, sensors, brushing modes, and additional functions, just smile and let the brush do the work.
2. Manage sweet consumption
Everyone loves sweets, especially kids. If you have kids in the house, minimizing their consumption of sugary treats and beverages can be challenging. Try keeping them out of site, or discussing limits is an excellent way to set sugary boundaries. Redirecting their attention to festive activities may help them forget about their sweet tooth.
In addition, it’s a good idea to take the kids to the dentist after the holiday season. According to pediatric dentistry experts, children should visit the dentist every 3 or 6 months for regular procedures like cleanings and fillings.
3. Keep dental floss with you
If you’re attending parties or going out to eat and drink, keeping some dental floss with you will come in handy. You can easily floss your teeth between meals and avoid potentially embarrassing situations. It’s a simple habit that keeps your teeth and gums healthy.
4. Use mouthwash
Mouthwash is a handy dental care product many people need to use. Regular use of mouthwash after brushing and flossing prevents infections and bad breath. But that’s not all. You can also rinse your mouth with mouthwash between meals during the day. Mouthwash refreshes your breath in a few seconds and helps you feel awake. Use mouthwash this holiday season for better oral health.
5. Schedule an appointment with a dentist
Yellow teeth, plaque, and bad breath lower our confidence and make it difficult to interact with others at social events. But a quick visit to the dentist for cosmetic dentistry procedures can give you a sparkling white smile in no time. To look and feel better, many go for teeth whitening dental treatments before the holiday season. Visiting the dentist is the only way to get safe yet quick results.
6. Give dental care gifts
From cute toothbrushes for children to at-home dental care kits, there are plenty of dental care gifts you can give your loved ones. It’s a thoughtful and helpful gift for people of all ages. Moreover, kids love to use fancy and creative dental care products. Lip balm, flavoured dental floss, and sugar-free gum makes great stocking stuffers.
7. Have a routine
It’s much easier to stick to good dental care practices when you have a daily routine. If you make it a habit to brush and floss first thing in the morning and maintain oral hygiene at night, you will breeze through the holiday season with no oral issues.
8. Use herbal products
There are hundreds of herbal dental care products in the market. If regular toothpaste and mouthwash brands aren’t working for you, try switching to herbal and all-natural dental care brands. In a pinch? Drink peppermint tea; not only is it festive, but it also helps keep your breath fresh compared to coffee.
9. Replace sweets with fruits
Can’t control your sweet tooth? A simple remedy is to swap sweet items for fruits like berries and naturally sweet dates. Natural fructose present in fruits is much less harmful than artificial sweeteners and table sugar.
10. Control coffee, tea, and soda consumption
Dark beverages have staining properties that can make your teeth darker. Coffee, tea, and carbonated drinks are the biggest culprits of teeth staining. Avoid these beverages or at least manage their consumption for better oral health. If you can not avoid these items, try drinking them through a straw to minimize staining and discolouration.
The takeaway
Maintaining healthy teeth and gums while indulging in the festivities is perfectly possible. We hope this guide helps you take care of your oral health this holiday season. If you need additional guidance, contact Ashraf Dentistry today!
