Seasonal oral care advice from Kent Smile Studio
Christmas is well and truly on its way, and it always comes around so quickly doesn’t it!
It seems the garden furniture is only just going away in the shed, and suddenly you’re getting decked out, planning how to make this years Christmas roasts perfect and wondering which lipstick to pair with that perfect party dress you bought especially for the works ‘do’.
Between organising who’s hosting Christmas dinner this year, and trying to ensure everybody gets their potatoes the way they like on the big day, there is going to be plenty of laughter, smiling and happiness throughout the festive season. Works events, cosy coffees with friends, family gatherings with people you don’t get to see all that often, and of course the endless array of delicious festive food and drink.
Unfortunately, despite the joy of the season, there is an element of risk to your oral health during this time. Our local dentist sees a lot of patients in the New Year who have overindulged, and their smiles have taken the brunt. Oral health issues certainly can be caused or exacerbated by the season of excess. For some, those issues don’t even wait until New Year and we see a number of emergency cases over Christmas. That kind of problem can truly ruin festivities and nobody wants to spend the festive season in pain!
All is not lost though, so don’t worry! There are plenty of things you can do to maintain a happy and healthy smile over Christmas, minimising your chance of a dental emergency, and of starting the New Year with oral health issues.
Our Top Tips For A Healthy And Happy Smile Over Christmas:
Avoid The Prosecco Smile
The term ‘prosecco smile’ is now a thing thanks to the high acid and sugar in alcoholic drinks like prosecco causing damage to the teeth. Fruit ciders, full sugar cola, orange juice and usually any full sugar fizz is likely to be just as bad. To avoid drinks having an adverse effect on your teeth, try to have ice in the drinks to dilute them. It is also useful to drink through a straw to limit the drinks contact with your teeth.
Be Careful With That Cosy Coffee
Coffee shop culture is definitely here to stay, and there are some amazing drinks on offer from popular chains. A cosy coffee is a lovely way to spend time with someone special at Christmas. The problem is, a lot of the drinks on offer in these places are laden with sugar and some top 500 calories. Sugar syrup, whipped cream, sticky sauces and sprinkles all add up to a lot of sugar in just one drink. Of course, the odd one is not going to hurt, but you might want to try to drink something less harmful to your teeth most of the time. Herbal teas, espresso, americano and even syrup shot-free iced coffee are better choices.
Try To Eat Treats At Mealtimes Only
Although there will be special days you eat all day long, it is advisable to try and consume treats at mealtimes the rest of the time. This means your teeth are not exposed to sugar and acid all through the day and instead the effects are limited to mealtimes.
Preserve Your Oral Health Regime
Do keep brushing twice a day for two minutes, do keep up your visits to our dentist and hygienist. Although there will be late nights, late mornings, all kinds of change in your daily routine and all kinds of reasons to skip a brush, your oral health regime is what will keep your oral health on track throughout the season.
Make Better Buffet Choices
Yes you will have the odd mince pie, chocolate cake and pastry, but you can make better buffet choices overall to balance things out. Cheese sticks, vegetable sticks, dairy dips, salads and plain grains are all great ideas to balance out your buffet plate. Your teeth will be much better off for it, along with your waistline too!
Keep Some Sugar-Free Gum On Hand
Sugar-free gum is very good for the teeth as it helps you create more saliva following a meal which helps balance the PH in your mouth and rinse away food and debris. The chewing motion helps to break down food further, and the ingredient xylitol is thought to be great at helping keep teeth healthy too. Do be careful to follow the manufacturer’s instructions though as over-consumption of gum can lead to a laxative effect which you definitely do not want at a Christmas party.
Can Kent Smile Studio Help You Brighten Your Smile Over Christmas?
Even with all the right oral health care, you might feel that your teeth are still not as aesthetically pleasing as you would like them to be. Why not let our skilled Maidstone and Chatham dentists help you with our complete range of exceptional cosmetic dentistry treatments? We have deep clean brightening treatments from our hygienist, and complete whitening treatments to lift the whiteness of your teeth by several shades. These treatments are ideal for parties and special events, and can be completed quickly and conveniently.
Looking for a more substantial transformation? Our team has a wide range of restorative, general and cosmetic treatments that are able to help transform issues such as stained, wonky, misaligned, gappy and chipped teeth.
Although we can’t fulfill a treatment plan for substantial smile makeovers within the remainder of this year, why not book in for a consultation to get the ball rolling? What better Christmas present to yourself than plans to get the smile you have always dreamed of, and the smile-confidence to go with it?
Please call our teams in Chatham or Maidstone for more information or to book an appointment; we’re here to help you get the smile you’ve always wanted for Christmas, and all year round.
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