6 Tips to Keep Your Smile Healthy This Holiday Season

It’s the holiday season! Are you ready? Even though celebrating may look somewhat different for your family this year, it’s still an excellent time to let loved ones know they’re appreciated, remember what we’re grateful for, and, of course, enjoy lots of delicious holiday foods! Unfortunately, the fall and winter seasons are notoriously tough on oral health. Here are six easy but effective tips that can help keep your smile healthy and strong well into the new year.

1.) Make Time for the Basics

Whether you’re starting your festivities early in the day or celebrating well into the night, don’t forget to take time for your daily dental habits. Simply brushing and flossing every day can go a long way in preventing a variety of oral health issues that could interrupt your holidays.

2.) Avoid Foods on the Naughty List

As you fill up your plate during your holiday meals, don’t forget that some foods are worse for your teeth than others. Do your best to avoid or limit options like:

• Hard foods, since these can easily weaken or chip your teeth.
• Sticky treats, which can injure or dislodge dental work like fillings or crowns.
• Sugary and acidic drinks, because these leave your teeth vulnerable to both damage and decay.

3.) Choose Smile-Friendly Snacks

Thankfully, there are plenty of delicious seasonal snacks that can improve your oral health. Foods that are full of calcium, phosphorus, and vitamin C can help strengthen your teeth and encourage healthier gum tissue, while fibrous vegetables can help scrub away cavity-causing plaque.

4.) Limit Your Alcohol Intake

Alcohol is highly acidic, which means that it can burn through the protective enamel on your teeth very quickly. This leaves them vulnerable to discoloration, damage, decay, and even serious infections. If you choose to indulge in your favorite alcoholic beverages, limit your intake and make sure to drink plenty of water afterwards.

5.) Seasonal Safety Tips for Teeth

No matter how excited you are to open that holiday card, package, gift, or bottle, don’t use your teeth! Using your teeth as tools may seem convenient, but it can cost you much more time and money by chipping or cracking your teeth! Take your time and always use the proper tools for the job instead.

6.) It’s the Time of Year to Visit Your Dentist

Have you gotten two dental checkups this year? If it’s been more than six months since your last visit, take some time out of your busy schedule to take care of your smile. Routine checkups and cleanings are the best way to spot and stop potential issues before they have a chance to interrupt your holidays!

Give yourself plenty of reasons to smile this holiday season by maintaining great oral health. These six easy tips can help keep your pearly whites bright and shiny all year long!

About the Practice

Dr. Dawnmarie Digrazia of Somerset Dental Arts has been caring for the smiles of Somerville and the surrounding communities since 1993. As a member of both the Academy of General Dentistry and the New Jersey Dental Association, she stays current with the latest dental technology, techniques, and treatments. She loves to help teach her patients about the importance of oral health and the best way to care for their smiles through every season of life. For more holiday oral health tips, she can be contacted via her website or at (908) 722-2999.