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The holidays are a time to enjoy family and friends and fabulous food. Unfortunately, without a bit of self-control, it can also lead to dental emergencies and a serious decline in your oral health. From the change in your regular schedule to eating more sweets than usual, your teeth can become the recipient of poor choices and overindulgence. If you want to spend more of your precious time with those you love instead of waiting in a dentist’s chair, learn what you can do to keep your smile healthy and beautiful this holiday season.

How the Holidays Hinder Your Smile

Whether you’re traveling this year or staying at home, there’s a good chance you are taking full advantage of the time off from work to sleep in, stay up late, and indulge in all your holiday favorites. From the turkey to the pies to the delicious side dishes, it’s hard not to smile when thinking about all the things you enjoy this time of year. However, your smile will quickly fade if you’re not careful. Should you choose to embrace bad habits and truly eat “whatever you want,” you could be looking at spending your holiday savings on a dental filling instead of a new watch for your dad.

To better understand how the holidays can wreck your smile, consider the following:

• Eating all day instead of at designated mealtimes makes it difficult for your salivary glands to work as they should, effectively flushing away bacteria that builds inside your mouth.
• Forgoing your regular oral hygiene routine because you’d rather stay up late watching movies with your cousins will make it more likely for plaque to form and eat away at your tooth enamel overnight.
• Drinking soda, alcohol, or other beverages aside from water can dry out your mouth and cause bacteria to build, resulting in an increased risk for gum disease and tooth decay.

Tips to Avoid Decay and Disease During the Holidays

If maintaining a photo-worthy smile sounds like a good idea to you, try following these tips:

• Continue to brush, floss, and rinse your mouth regularly. Stick to a normal routine no matter where you are.
• Limit the amount of sugar and starch you consume, as they can cause bacteria and plaque to break down your tooth enamel.
• Minimize your consumption of dark-colored beverages that can easily stain your teeth.
• See your dentist before leaving for the holidays.
• Eat healthier foods like turkey, fresh vegetables, fruit, mashed potatoes, dark chocolate, and cheese.
• Avoid snacking throughout the day.

The holidays shouldn’t be a dreaded time of year. Instead, make sure to follow these helpful tips and spend more time enjoying the ones you love.

About the Author
Dr. Rina Singh looks forward to the holidays just as much as anyone else. She and her team of experts know how exciting it can be to delve into many of the most beloved foods that are only served once a year. But the reality is that she knows how detrimental these special seasons can be on a person’s oral health. To help her patients prepare for the sugary sweets and savory starches, she is happy to provide useful tips to mitigate the potential for a post-holiday dental visit. If you want to protect your teeth from potential cavities and gum disease, call (717) 937-8180 or visit our website.