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! 

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7 Tips to Keep Your Teeth Healthy & Bright Over the Holidays

We are in the midst of the holiday season which means that you are probably being tempted more than usual by deliciously sweet treats everywhere that you go. Access Dental & Dentures wants you to enjoy yourself, but keep in mind the damaging effects that sugar can have on your teeth. Your trusted dentists in Southern Missouri have a few tips below on how you can enjoy those tempting treats but still keep your teeth clean and healthy, as well as a few other good things to keep in mind while you celebrate. 

Regulate Sweet Treats
Sugar causes natural bacteria in your mouth to react. This creates acid inside the mouth, which starts to eat away at the protective covering of the tooth enamel. Do your best to not overdo it at the dessert table. All sugar can be bad, but sticky candy like taffy and gummies are the worst because they will cling to your teeth. Eating healthy foods first will help to fill you up so that you eat less of the sweet stuff, and chewing sugar-free gum will help you to avoid eating when you aren't really hungry.   

Don't Forget to Brush
It's very important to stick to your regular oral care routine on a daily basis. Don't let the hustle and bustle of the holidays get in the way of that. No matter how tired you are at the end of the day, don't go to sleep with a mouthful of food stuck in and on your teeth. It only takes about two minutes twice a day to keep those cavities away! 

Travel With Tools
This time of year when the treats are more tempting than usual and you may be away from home more often, it's wise to carry some dental care items with you. The sample sizes found at grocery stores are perfect for traveling and floss or a mini bottle of mouthwash is easy to carry in a purse or pocket. That way, if you eat something particularly sweet and sticky or you know you'll be staying out extremely late, you won't have to wait until you get home to take care of it.

Only Bite What You Should
It can be very tempting to use your teeth to open tough packaging, but DON'T DO IT! You risk cracking or breaking your teeth when you use them this way which can result in an expensive cosmetic repair job! The same goes for other things that are not edible - no opening corks or bottles with your teeth. They're not made for that!

It's not just the non-food items that you should be cautious of. For instance, nuts are meant to be chewed but their shells are NOT meant to be cracked with your teeth. Hard candy like jawbreakers or peanut brittle can be rough on your teeth, especially if those teeth are already worn down. It's a good idea to avoid chewing ice too because this can also be damaging over time.

Avoid Dark Beverages
It's best to stick to light-colored or clear beverages to avoid staining your teeth. Drinking through a straw that takes the liquid past your teeth can help to lessen the effect, but if you're trying to keep your pearly whites actually white, it's a good idea to skip the red wine or cranberry juice.

Drink Lots of Water
The best clear beverage out there is water. Staying hydrated is good for your entire body, but water is particularly good for your teeth because it can wash away some of the food particles and bacteria for you. Also, drinking water will help to keep you feeling full, meaning you might be more likely to turn down that second helping of holiday cookies!

Schedule a Post-Holiday Checkup
Start the new year off on a healthy note by scheduling a regular checkup at our Springfield, Missouri dental office or one of our other 4 locations in Southern Missouri. Not only will this get your teeth back to their cleanest and shiniest, but any problems that may have been caused by all of those extra temptations over the holidays can be caught early. 

As long as you pay attention to the type of things you are putting in your mouth and do your best to stick to a regular oral care routine, we're sure that you can make it through the holidays without damaging that beautiful smile. Our dental offices in Southern Missouri are here to take care of you when problems with your teeth occur, but stick to the tips we've shared with you in today's blog and you should only have to visit Access Dental & Dentures for regular, healthy checkups!

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

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Springfield Office          Rolla Office             Osage Beach Office

(417) 501-1048              (573) 426-5447          (573) 348-1466         

1701 West Sunshine        416 S. Bishop Ave.   4320 Osage Beach Pkwy

Springfield, MO 65807   Rolla, MO 65401      Osage Beach, MO. 65065

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921-A N. Main                             1402 S. Elliott

Mountain Grove, MO 65711       Aurora, MO 65605

Damaging Effects of Holiday Treats

As the holiday season approaches, there are a number of dangers lurking right on the dessert table! While all of these goodies taste so great, there are many ways they can cause damage to your teeth. Whether you're traveling to spend time with friends and family or hosting a holiday get together yourself, try to regulate your sugar intake this holiday. As the best dentist in southern Missouri, we know how important it is to care for your teeth, especially when you are more likely to indulge in those tasty treats. Take a look below to find some of the ways these sugary-filled goodies can cause damage to your pearly whites.

Bacteria Battle

When you eat sugary-filled foods (like a sampling from the entire desert table), the sugar mixes with the bacteria naturally found in your mouth. The sugars stick to your teeth and then the bacteria works with this sugar, forming a film over your teeth. It's important to wash this sugar off of your teeth, as soon as possible. Whether you do that by drinking plenty of water or brushing your teeth after you hit the dessert table, it's important to keep this bacteria battle from taking place on your tooth surface.

Wear Down of Enamel

When the sugar and bacteria mix on your tooth's surface, it starts to pull minerals out of your tooth's protective barrier - the enamel. This coating helps to protect your teeth and once the bacteria has penetrated, damage can start. Don't forget to think about your enamel as you get ready for your holiday feasts. Be sure to take proper care of your teeth and clean them in a timely manner after eating sugar-filled foods.

Cause Cavities

A cavity is when bacteria penetrates your tooth's surface and starts to eat away at your tooth. As your tooth enamel wears down, there is no protective layer between bacteria and your tooth. At this point, cavities may start to form. Remember to keep your teeth healthy and clean to help prevent cavities from forming after chowing down on holiday treats.

It's best to avoid holiday candies and treats that put sugar in your mouth. Sticky or hard candies are also harmful to your teeth. Keep your oral care in mind as you select your treats this holiday season.

Now that you've seen some of the damaging effects of sweet treats, you know how important it is to not over-do it at the dessert table at your upcoming holiday gatherings. After your holiday get together, it can be beneficial to schedule a check-up for your teeth. From our cleaning service to ensure your teeth are properly cleaned to our inspection of your mouth to make sure no new cavities have formed, you can catch and issues right away. Contact our Springfield, Missouri dental office to schedule your next appointment. Until then, our staff at Access Dental & Dentures wishes you a happy holiday season!

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Springfield Office          Rolla Office          Osage Beach Office      Mountain Grove Office
(417) 501-1048              (573) 426-5447        (573) 348-1466                       (417) 926-1160
1701 West Sunshine      416 S. Bishop Ave.  4320 Osage Beach Pkwy       921 N. Main St.

Springfield, MO 65807   Rolla, MO 65401     Osage Beach, MO. 65065       Mountain Grove