Christmas Precautions To Help Maintain Healthy Teeth

Helping our Canterbury patients have a tooth friendly festive season!

Although some people might have fond memories of  Christmas parties, for most of us, these simply didn’t happen last year due to lockdown restrictions. Many of us spent Christmas alone or only with our closest family, not seeing other relatives as we usually do.

Although things are somewhat up in the air at the moment with the arrival of the new Omicron variant of Covid, it does seem at the moment that Christmas this year could be a little more normal. No doubt many of you are looking forward to indulging and perhaps overindulging in some of the seasons ‘treats’. All of the team at Bradley and Partners Dental & Implant Clinic hope you have a great time, but also note that there are things to be aware of which could potentially be harmful to your teeth and gums.

With this in mind, here are a few thoughts for you to consider, to help you see in the new year with a healthy mouth.

Mind the alcohol consumption

Undoubtedly, there will be a few of us who have to face the fact that we drank too much the night before. Although overindulgence in alcohol is not a good thing for our health, the occasional release is arguably beneficial for our mental well being, and after the last couple of years, it could be argued that we had earned it. Having said that, it is important to acknowledge the potential harm that alcohol can cause, not only to our general health but to our teeth and gums too.

Alcohol plays a significant role in both gum disease and in oral cancers. ‘Dry mouth’ caused by excessive alcohol intake provides an ideal environment for potentially harmful bacteria to thrive. As these bacteria multiply, our gums may become infected, with gingivitis and periodontitis being possible outcomes. Alcohol also contains chemicals which are believed to contribute to oral cancer. Whilst the odd glass of wine or beer may do little harm, excessive or regular alcohol consumption can greatly increase your risk of mouth cancers.

Finally, A&E departments around the country will be gearing up for the annual influx of patients who have suffered from accidents relating to being drunk. Dentists usually receive an increase in phone calls soon after the festive season to treat patients who have broken or knocked out teeth due to drinking too much. Try not to be one of these statistics and drink moderately, making sure to drink plenty of water too.

Smoking

Smoking is bad for you, full stop. There is never a good time to start smoking but Christmas can be a ‘weak spot’ for ex smokers in particular. Having a cigar to celebrate Christmas or the new year, could just be the trigger that starts your craving for cigarettes again. Smoking is the biggest factor in oral cancers and it simply isn’t worth the risk of starting smoking again, so this is one celebration that we strongly recommend that you don’t join in with.

Sugary foods

Most of us will probably eat food that we know isn’t the healthiest option around. Chocolates, cakes and sweets will be consumed in greater quantities than normal by most of us. This is fine and sometimes it is good to let down our guard just a little. Remember though that this means that a lot of sugar will become attached to our teeth and gums so it is best to eat these in moderation if you can. If you can’t do this, and even if you can,  try to drink water afterwards as this will help to flush some of the sugar away, especially those contained in foods that easily stick to the teeth such as mince pies and Christmas pudding.

Say ‘cheese’

It is not all bad news about your favourite Christmas foods being potentially harmful to your teeth. Some are actually quite good for them! One of the best examples of this, and something that fits in nicely at mealtimes, is cheese. Eating a little cheese at the end of a meal will help to neutralise the acidity in your mouth, reducing the acids that can damage the protective enamel layer of your teeth. Why not visit your local cheese merchant for an interesting and unusual cheese selection for your guests to try?

Your oral health regime

Above all, whatever you do this festive season, do remember to maintain your usual teeth cleaning regime, or better still, improve on it.  One quick way to improve it is to ask for an electric toothbrush as a present. This is widely seen as an improvement on a manual toothbrush as the rotating heads help to remove plaque more easily.

Whatever toothbrush you use though, do make sure to clean your teeth both morning and night, and no sneaky chocolates or snacks after your night time clean as this would cause sugar to stick to your teeth overnight. However tired you feel, or busy you are, make sure to take those few minutes each day to give your teeth a good clean. You should also remember to floss between your teeth too. This is a great way to reduce the risk of gum disease or tooth decay from food debris that gets trapped between the teeth.

Please remember that dentists are closed for some of the Christmas period, but if you do have a genuine dental emergency, you should still call our Canterbury clinic first and listen to the recorded message that will advise you what to do next. To contact Bradley and Partners Dental & Implant Clinic, please call through on 01227 463529.