It’s official: the holidays are here, along with all the food and drink that comes with them. While you may be stressing about your waistline, we’d like to direct your attention a bit higher, to your teeth. Diets and dental health tend to go out the window for the next couple of months as we travel here and there eating delicious dish after delicious dish. While you’re on your own when it comes to maintaining your diet, we’ve got a few tips on how to keep teeth healthy this holiday season.
Stick to Your Routine
We’ll start with the basics first: stick to your routine! You know the one—brushing and flossing at least twice a day, right when you wake up and just before going to sleep. That alone will keep you head and shoulders above many folks out there who toss dental hygiene to the wind until next year.
Schedule Your Next Appointment Now
Listen, it’s always nice to have a little insurance. Make sure your next dental appointment is on the books from now. That way, even if you get off track, you’ve got an appointment waiting where you can get your teeth cleaned and get back on top of maintaining those healthy teeth.
Brush on the Go
One of the toughest parts of maintaining your dental hygiene routine while you’re traveling to see family and friends is being away from your well-stocked bathroom. You’ve got your toothbrush, your toothpaste, your floss, and your mouthwash all ready to go. Packing that all can be a hassle. So get yourself a small travel kit complete with a compact toothbrush that fits into your bag or even your pocket. Once you’ve got the tools, it’s easier to make the time.
Pack Cinnamon Gum
We’ve got the basics out of the way, so let’s get to the fun stuff. Cinnamon gum does more than freshen your breath. It also packs cinnamaldehyde, a hard-working essential oil that attacks cavity-forming bacteria. There’s bound to be some cinnamon-flavored desserts around, so you won’t even mess up your palate.
Follow Alcohol with a Bite of Cheese
If you thought cinnamon gum was fun, we were just getting warmed up. Alcohol tends to have a high acid content. Whether you’re enjoying a glass of wine or a sipping on a mixed drink to keep warm, that acid is going after the enamel protecting your teeth. Compounds in cheese have been found to neutralize that acid, so a bite or two of cheese between sips is just what the dentist ordered!
Wear a Mouthguard
Family gatherings can sometimes feel like a contact sport—especially if your family is one that heads out for a “friendly” game of flag football. By all means, go out and play! Just don’t forget your mouthguard. It’s a lot easier than trying to hide that missing tooth in family photos.
Schedule a Cleaning
Remember that appointment we told you to schedule for after the holidays? If you live in Chicago or Deerfield, IL, you can schedule it with the Smile On Dental Salon and Sleep Apnea Center. Just give us a call at 773-570-1630.
