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4 Tips for Healthy Teeth and Gums This Holiday Season

We completely understand. It’s the holidays: a time for family, friends, and all the delectable treats that come with it. Arguably healthy for the soul, but not exactly considered healthy for your teeth and gums!

We’ve put together a few easy ways to help enjoy those tasty treats while still keeping your teeth and gums this Holiday Season.

It’s not just what you eat, but how you eat it

How you eat also has an impact on your teeth and gums. This is due to some chemistry. Don’t worry, we’ll spare you the boring specifics. All you need to know is that eating certain foods followed by other foods can produce a more negative reaction than if you were to eat them in reverse. Columbia University College of Dental Medicine reviewed a few principles to remember on this topic. Here they are in short form:

  • Be careful when you snack between meals this holiday season. Studies have shown that bacteria build up in those who snack between meals can double or triple causing enamel erosion. When you splurge, splurge. Try not graze too much this holiday season.
  • Soft drinks during meals. There is nothing like an ice cold coke to help wash it down! However, try to stomach the idea of diet, or limit yourself to one serving. Studies have shown that sipping the sugary drink during meals can cause an increase in acidic reactions on the teeth causing excess erosion of enamel.
  • Less sticky, more nutritiony. Is that a word? As always, make sure to enjoy plenty of quality protein and nutrient dense foods along with a reasonable indulgence of sugary treats this holiday season. This will help keep you healthy enough to enjoy many more holiday seasons to come.

Squeeze in an extra flossing

A great way to prevent gum disease or other oral health conditions this Holiday Season is to squeeze in a little extra flossing after your big holiday meals. If you know you are going to be enjoying a large meal, the additional flossing will help remove any unnecessary food stuck between your teeth, preventing bacteria from forming.  Flossing immediately after you eat is even more effective than waiting before bed! This will greatly decrease the growth of bacteria at night after those delicious meals.

Brush a little more

If you are going to floss, why not try an extra brush? We recommend at least twice per day normally, however, on the big meal day a quick extra brush will make a huge difference.

Add a few more rinses

If you forgot your brush and/or floss, or if it is truly inconvenient for you on the days you enjoy your big meals to brush and floss, why not add a little mouthwash to help rinse away unnecessary bacteria in your mouth and gums? It is a convenient, less intrusive way to help manage the excess bacteria.

Now… go enjoy all those delicious treats this Holiday Season.

Happy Holidays from all of us at Dr. Krishnan’s office!

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