How to Care for Your Teeth During the Holidays

The festive season can be tremendous fun, but it can also be a nightmare for your teeth. Indulgent foods can lead to plaque buildup, while busy schedules mean you don’t have the usual time for flossing and brushing. 

Just because it’s the holiday season doesn’t mean you should skip your oral hygiene routine. In fact, we recommend focusing on it even more at this time of year because of all the sugary treats available!

This post shares dentist-approved tips for caring for your teeth during the holidays. Following our advice will reduce the risk of plaque buildup and help you avoid complications, like gum disease and cavities.

Avoid Food That Can Harm Your Teeth

They say that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, and nowhere is this age-old adage truer than in the realm of oral care. Your first line of defense throughout the holiday season is to steer clear of foods that could potentially cause damage.

We suggest limiting your intake of sugary treats like caramels, Belgian chocolates, candy canes, and cookies. The sucrose in these items feeds harmful bacteria in your mouth, causing them to produce more tooth-damaging acids. These acids gnaw away at the protective enamel around your teeth and the gum lining, leading to cavities, bleeding, and sometimes bad breath. 

Avoid sticky or hard candies when you can. They can cause mechanical injury to your teeth, such as pulling out loose teeth (in the case of toffees) or leading to cracking or chipping (as with candy canes). If you have braces, dentures, or any other prosthetics in your mouth, you should avoid these sweets entirely.

Hydrate and Avoid Sugary Drinks

Ensure you remain adequately hydrated throughout the holidays. This tip is our most underrated piece of advice, but it can make a huge difference! Drinking sufficient water reduces the risk of dry mouth, which can foster the growth of harmful bacteria.

When choosing beverages, opt for low-acid, sugar-free options. Regular water is ideal, but tea and herbal infusions are also okay. Try to limit your intake of soda. Even though the diet versions don’t have sugar, they contain acids that can erode your enamel.

Alcohol can also negatively impact your teeth. Research indicates it makes people more prone to oral cancer, tooth erosion, and tooth decay, meaning you’ll want to limit how much you consume.

If you have a difficult time cutting out alcohol during the holiday season, identify your triggers and make a point to stay away from them. Knowing what might cause you to drink excessively and avoiding those situations can reduce your consumption.

Be Mindful of Teeth-Staining Foods

We also suggest being mindful of teeth-staining foods and beverages over the holidays. Many items, often part of traditional Christmas fare, contain pigments called tannins that can infiltrate the tooth enamel and change teeth’s appearance.

These stains won’t necessarily harm your oral health. However, they can be unflattering and make you feel self-conscious when you smile. 

Be aware that foods like coffee, tea, red wine, and dark sauces can stain teeth. You can reduce the risk by:

  • Using whitening toothpaste that clears away stains from the surface of teeth without harming the underlying enamel

  • Chewing sugar-free gum between meals, especially when consuming foods and drinks with high pigment content

  • Brushing regularly, sometimes after every meal to remove stain particles before they can infiltrate into the enamel

  • Rinsing your mouth with water after eating or drinking to swish away tannins

  • Using a straw to consume liquids, allowing them to bypass contact with the teeth

Protect Your Teeth During Sports or Holiday Activities

Remember to protect your teeth during sports or holiday activities. While sugar can be harmful to teeth, you also want to avoid traumatic injuries.

We suggest wearing mouthguards during all sports activities or anywhere you could accidentally get hit in the face. Mouthguards reduce the risk of knocked-out, chipped, or broken teeth, which require emergency dental work. It may also be worth wearing mouthguards if you go biking or swimming. During crashes, these appliances distribute forces around the face instead of into specific teeth.

Don’t use your teeth to open packages or bottles this festive season. While tempting, this can apply excessive force, causing teeth to split or break off. Always use tools instead, like bottle openers.

Schedule a Dental Check-Up Before the Holidays

Finally, we suggest scheduling a dental check-up before the holidays begin. These appointments ensure your teeth are in good condition and aren’t as vulnerable to holiday indulgences. 

Nowadays, dental technology can detect issues early and prevent them from causing serious harm. For example, it can stop a cavity before it forms or treat gingivitis before it progresses to the roots, obstructing oral health problems before they cause serious damage. 

Dental Care in Durango

In summary, maintaining oral hygiene and caring for your teeth are essential during the holiday season—often more so than at other times of the year. Our best advice is to exercise common sense. Avoid consuming too many rich foods and sugary drinks. Moderate your alcohol intake and wear protective appliances, like mouthguards, if you participate in athletics. Continue brushing and flossing your teeth as usual, even if you have a busy schedule.

For a quick check-up before the festivities begin, contact Durango Dental today to schedule an appointment.