Christmas is coming and it probably won’t just be the goose that is getting fat! Most of us eat and drink more than we really should at this time of year. Most of us would also probably agree that, at the end of what has probably been a challenging year, in one way or another, we deserve to do so. After all, we can always watch what we eat for a while afterwards and perhaps abstain from alcohol for a few weeks to get ourselves back on track.
This doesn’t always apply though when it comes to our teeth and gums. This period is certainly a challenging one for them! Nobody wants to have a severe toothache at Christmas when dental practices are closed, or to have a broken tooth because we thought it would be a good idea to open bottles with them! For today’s Blake Dental blog then, we thought that we would take an early look at some of the problems that might arise during the festivities and what our Witham patients can do to avoid them.
The vast majority of us will consume more sugar over the Christmas and New Year period than we would at other times of the year. Even if we intend not to do so, by the time we have opened yet another present containing chocolates etc, we just know that we are going to eat them. Once we start, it often doesn’t stop for several days.
Aside from any effect this might have on the digestive system, the consumption of this amount of sugar is basically ‘party time’ for the bacteria that live in our mouth. With all this food to consume, they will release more acids than ever which is what damages the enamel on our teeth. A sustained period of increased sugar consumption could lead to problems like tooth decay and gum disease.
The best thing to do is to try to ask people not to give you chocolates etc. This won’t be the only sugary food available of course, with some, like Christmas pudding, also sticking to the teeth for a prolonged period.
Even if you eat more sugar than usual, there are ways that you can minimise any impact on your teeth and subsequent need to visit your dentist in Witham.
Don’t ‘graze’. It is better to eat sweets etc in short periods and leave a longer one in between. This will allow your teeth to remineralise.
Drink plenty of water. Not only will this keep you hydrated, and thereby helping to keep your gums healthy, but will also wash some of the sugars away as well. Avoid sugary soft drinks as this will only worsen, rather than improve, the problem.
Please read the sections below on cheese and your oral health regime. There is some good advice in there.
Alcohol also contains sugar, but the biggest problems, as far as oral health is concerned, is gum disease and accidents. Drinking alcohol tends to lead to a dry mouth which allows bacteria to breed much faster, so it is best to drink in moderation. Accidents are also more likely if you over indulge and a stumble or fall could cause a blow to the mouth, resulting in damage to your teeth, or even tooth loss. Enjoy yourself of course, but do keep an eye on how much you are drinking and make sure to drink plenty of water too.
After eating, especially sugary foods, our mouth environment can be very acidic. As we know, this is not good news for our teeth. One very simple ‘trick’ which will help to rebalance the acidity is to eat some cheese at the end of a meal. This will help to neutralise the acidity and provide a more balanced environment in the oral cavity.
Hopefully, our Witham patients will use their common sense over the Christmas period, but it is still worth reminding everyone that your teeth are not tools. Opening presents, crisp packets, and even using teeth to crack nuts, can cause the teeth to chip, crack or even break. The one that we always dread though is the person who thinks it is a good idea to open a beer bottle with his teeth (and it usually is men!). This is about as foolish as it gets. Doing this, whether to show off or because you genuinely think it is a good idea, may well earn you a trip not only to the dentist to have broken teeth restored, but could find you in the A&E department with serious and deep cuts to your face. If you don’t have a convenient way to open beer bottles; ask Santa to bring you one!
Finally, one that should go without saying is that you should maintain your teeth cleaning regime with good quality brushing, morning and night, and flossing between your teeth too. While we do this most of the time, it can be more challenging at this time of the year as it can be very tiring, leaving us just wanting to crawl into bed. It might even be tempting to have ‘just one more chocolate’ even after we have cleaned our teeth.
However tired you, or your children, are, make sure that you all brush your teeth well, both morning and night and floss too. And of course, nothing other than water should pass your lips after this when you are going to bed.
There will be more blogs before the holidays but hopefully this early message will help. If you have any queries about anything in this blog or about your oral health in general, or to book an appointment at Blake Dental, please call our friendly reception team on 01376 501688.
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Katie Annabel Blake trading as Blake Dental is an Introducer Appointed Representative of Financing First Limited, which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Katie Annabel Blake is a credit broker, not a lender. The provider of a payment scheme which is not offered through or by Financing First Limited may not be so authorised and regulated.
