Don’t forget your smile this holiday season, as you are surrounded by mouth-watering gingerbread cookies, eggnog, and savory glazed ham, take some steps to protect your healthy smile. After all, you work hard all year-round to maintain your confident smile, you don’t want to undo your work during the festive holidays. You can celebrate mindfully by implementing these tips:
-Eating sugar with your meal: If you are going to eat sugar, eat it with a meal instead of a stand-alone snack. Why? The longer your teeth are coated in sugar, the more you are feeding the harmful bacteria in the mouth, encouraging plaque. As you eat and drink with your meal can help to keep sugar from sticking to your pearly whites.
-Neutralize the acids on your teeth: Water, even seltzer water can neutralize the harmful acids that erode tooth enamel. This can help as you celebrate. Drinking water or mineral water can also help offset the acids on your teeth.
-Hold off on brushing: Say what? You heard right! Brushing right after eating acidic or sugary foods can actually harm your pearly whites as the enamel is softened by the acid wash. After 30 minutes your enamel will re-harden and you will be good to brush.
-Snack on cheese: If you are at a party, snack away on the cheeses to help your teeth. Not only is the protein good for you, but it also neutralizes the acid in the mouth.
-Sugar-free gum: If you can’t brush after snacking, chew on some sugar-free gum to freshen breath and stimulate healthy saliva production which is good for your smile.
At Werschky, Lewis & Slatton Family Dentistry in Grand Blanc, Michigan, Dr. Jay A. Werschky and Dr. Jori W. Lewis wish you and your loved ones a festive holiday. To schedule your next visit, please call us at (810) 671-5616. Give yourself the gift of a healthy smile this season!