The holidays are here and it’s time to show the world your beautiful smile! Keeping your smile healthy and protected this holiday season is crucial when you’ve got so much going on. Maintaining your oral hygiene habits doesn’t have to be difficult in the face of the holiday frenzy. You can enjoy your time with family and friends while still looking your best this holiday season. The same external factors that caused the discoloration in the first place can quickly work their way back onto the teeth. For this reason,
Dr. Sonia Olivares recommends flossing once a day, thorough cleaning with anti-sensitivity toothpaste twice a day, and occasional re-treatment with teeth whitening in Doral, Miami, and Brickel. These post-treatment measures will ensure that the smile stays at its whitest for a long time.
Here are 5 tips to protect your holiday smile in Doral, Florida.
1. Never use your teeth as a tool.
Don't use your teeth to open presents, bottles, food packages and other similar activities. With time, this will weaken the enamel and the more fragile edges of your teeth, leading to cracking and breakage.
Plus, to handle all the delicious Christmas nuts, you need a nutcracker, not your teeth. Always shell nuts before snacking on them. The hard surface of most nutshells can cause severe tooth and gum damage, and may even crack teeth.
2. Avoid overeating with sweets
It's the most wonderful time of year for candy canes, popcorn balls, cookies, and dried fruits - and this nonstop buffet of sweets can wreak havoc on your teeth.
Sugary food and drinks activate the bacteria that live in our mouths. These bacteria feed off the sugar and produce acids that harm teeth.
Sticky foods (like some dried fruit) tend to stay on the teeth longer than other types of food.
Hard candies can especially put your teeth at risk because, in addition to being full of sugar, they’ve also been known to cause broken or chipped teeth.
3. Drink plenty of water.
The water acts to neutralize the acids in your mouth after indulging in the sweet. Plus, if you choose to drink alcohol, try to drink water alongside your drinks.
4. Keep a routine.
The holidays can change your regular schedule, but you should still brush at least two times a day for two minutes and floss. By the way, why don’t you schedule a post-holiday checkup, cleaning and teeth whitening in Doral with your dentist and start the new year with clean, bright and cavity-free teeth?
5. Watch the red wine.
If you like a nice red, be mindful that the strong pigments in red wine are instant stain-makers for porous surfaces like your teeth. This doesn't mean you have to avoid red wine during the holiday season.
This holiday season, you can look your best and smile your biggest by taking care of your smile. Reduce teeth staining simply by eating while drinking or rinsing with water and choose sweets carefully. Be prepared for a hectic travel season by keeping a spare toothbrush and floss in your travel bag.
Schedule a consultation for restorative dental work to get the smile of your dreams—and remember, teeth grinding is extremely damaging to your smile!