It’s the holiday season. From Thanksgiving to Christmas and Hanukkah, to everything in between, it’s a time where we spend a lot of time around the table eating and conversing with family and friends. While we should enjoy time eating sweets and enjoying time with our family, we should continue to be aware of our oral hygiene. During this time, and all of the holiday sweets, we may let our dental care slip through the cracks. This is an important time to manage our oral hygiene the best we can to ensure we do not let any cavity’s slip in.
Keeping on track with brushing and flossing is always crucial, but even more so when our sugar intake goes up. This usually occurs around the holidays, so it is important to remember to brush and floss as frequently as possible. Without maintaining oral hygiene, the sugars attach to the enamel, and without removing it, the enamel begins to wear away, causing decay and cavities.
It is important to always remember:
- Brush your teeth for two minutes twice a day
- It is best to brush morning and night, so the bacteria have a limited time to accumulate through the day and night. Brush in small circular strokes, and always brush gently; let the bristles do the work for you. Brushing too hard allows abrasions to occur on the gums, potentially letting in bacteria.
- Floss daily
- Flossing daily ensures you remove the debris, sugars, and bacteria from in between the teeth. The combination of sugar and plaque sitting on or in between the teeth leaves a lot of room for decay to set in. Flossing eliminates a majority of the extra particles.
- Rinse your mouth
- If you have time in between meals, rinsing your mouth out with water is good practice. This allows for your sugars to be rinsed out of the mouth, causing less bacteria build up and accumulation.
It is important to remember to enjoy your time with your family and friends! Enjoy your holiday season, no matter how you celebrate. If you would like more tips to better manage your oral hygiene, contact your dental professionals.
