What the Holidays Could Do to Your Teeth!

Seeing family after a long time apart, sharing delicious meals together, exchanging sentimental gifts... The holidays are a time of joy. You may not even realize what the holidays are doing to your teeth until the damage has already been done. From over-indulging and making less healthy selections to relaxing on important health habits, the holidays can wreak havoc on your oral health. As the best dentists in the Springfield area, Access Dental and Dentures has the tips to help you keep your teeth strong this holiday season. Read on to learn more!

Portion Control

During the holidays, it can be hard to manage your impulse control. After all, how often do you have a full feast of delicious foods and desserts spread out in front of you? Not only do we tend to eat too much during the holidays, but we also tend to eat too often. As you spend time in the kitchen with your family preparing dishes for dinner, you could fall into a bad habit of snacking all day. It's just s taste test, right? Unfortunately, if you are consuming food constantly all day - especially food high in sugar and fat - it is in contact with your teeth for a longer amount of time and can cause more deterioration to your enamel. Try to avoid snacking throughout the day to keep your teeth feeling fresh - not to mention you'll be able to save your appetite for dinner and be able to enjoy the meal sitting around the table with your loved ones instead of already feeling too full.

Menu Items

In addition to eating too much and too often over the holidays, we tend to make worse choices. Instead of eating a lightly seasoned fish filet with steamed veggies, we indulge in gravy-smothered dishes high in carbs, fat, and sugar. It can be easy to make excuses for the holidays, especially when you think ahead to January and promise yourself that your resolutions will make up for the bad choices now. Unfortunately, the bad food choices you make over the holidays can do more than just add pounds. Bacteria feed on sugar, so the more sweets you consume over the holidays, the more the bacteria in your mouth grow. If you choose to indulge this season, try to limit the amount you consume, and ensure you rinse your mouth and brush your teeth after a particularly sugar-rich meal.

Losing Important Habits

With all of the travel families do over the holidays, it can be difficult to maintain healthy habits. When you wake up in your family home, you want to spend your time interacting with loved ones, not flossing! Keep in mind, though, that this simple habit that takes about 5 minutes can help keep you healthier overall. Not flossing and brushing regularly can cause weak spots in your enamel to progress and turn into cavities. Not to mention, if you floss and brush as prescribed, your smile will be brighter and can look better in those holiday photos that you'll look back on for years to come.

See Your Dentist!

Schedule a check-up and cleaning for right after the holidays to ensure your teeth are well cared for and in good condition moving into the new year. We can help identify any issues that may be present in your oral health and create a treatment plan tailored to you. We are the best dentists in the Springfield area, and we are passionate about your oral health. Give Access Dental a call today!

We want to be your dentist because your family deserves a great smile! 

1-877-DENTIST

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