5 Oral Health Tips for the Holidays

We’re in the thick of the holiday season. It’s a fun and festive time that can also be a little frantic. With everything going on, your health – including your dental health – can suffer. Fortunately, it’s not too tough to keep your smile in shape. We’ve listed several oral health tips here that should help.

Check out our advice. If you need to make an appointment at one of our two Laredo, TX locations, give us a call. We’re at 956-242-6745 for our Junction Drive office or 956-517-2695 for our Winfield office.

• Choose Chocolate Instead of Sticky Treats – It’s the holidays, so you should be able to enjoy some special treats. Chocolate is a good choice. It melts quickly in your mouth and rinses easily away from teeth. It’s a much better option than sticky treats like candy canes, marshmallows, and caramels. Those stick stubbornly to teeth and also get into nooks and crannies where they are difficult to remove. 
• Don’t Neglect Oral Hygiene When You Travel – If you’re traveling, keep a toothbrush and floss where you can easily get to them. That way your oral hygiene won’t suffer if you get stuck in an airport or similar spot. If hygiene supplies aren’t available, suck on sugar-free candy or chew sugar-free gum. It will get the saliva flowing, which helps rinse away harmful substances. If you grind your teeth, make sure you pack your night guard. It will keep you from suffering headaches, jaw pain, and other grinding-related issues.
• Select Smart Foods at Holiday Meals – Avoid excess sugar when you can at the holiday table. Don’t add sugar to your tea or coffee. Eat sweet potatoes without the marshmallow topping. Choose pumpkin for your pie instead of a more sugary variety. 
• Be Careful How You Use Teeth – Don’t crunch ice or popcorn kernels with your teeth or use them to remove shells from nuts. Teeth also aren’t for opening packages, tearing off price tags, or performing similar tasks. Using teeth as tools can seriously damage your smile. 
• Drink Plenty of Water – Skip soda and other sugary drinks. Water is much better for your teeth – and the rest of you too. It helps keep you cavity free by rinsing harmful substances away from teeth.
  

If you need to book your next exam or another service, contact us online. Or call the location nearest to you at 956-242-6745 for our Junction Drive office or 956-517-2695 for our Winfield office.