How to Take Care of Your Teeth During the Holidays

Seasonal treats and holiday food is one of the best parts of the colder months of the year. As you shift into celebration mode, you may find yourself indulging in sweets, treats and holiday goodies of all kinds.

Your holiday diet has an impact on your oral health. Keeping your sugar intake in check is important during the holiday season, and sticking to a rigorous oral hygiene routine is vital for maintaining healthy teeth during a temptation-heavy time of year.  

Keep Up With Your Daily Dental Health Routine

The best way to protect your teeth during the holidays is to keep up with your daily dental routine. Daily dental habits like brushing, flossing and tongue scraping keep your mouth healthy despite your holiday diet. Holiday food is typically rich in sugars, starches and calories—all of which can leave buildup on your teeth.

Having a consistent dental routine helps prevent buildup on and in between your teeth that can cause cavities and decay. Your daily dental habits should include:

• Brushing with fluoride toothpaste twice a day
• Flossing before you brush your teeth
• Using mouthwash 30 minutes after you brush your teeth or after eating

If you don’t brush daily, plaque can form on your teeth, contributing to gum and tooth decay. Fluoride toothpaste and fluoride mouthwash options can help limit plaque buildup and keep your mouth clean.

What Is Fluoride?

Fluoride is a naturally occurring mineral that is found in trace quantities in most food and water sources.

How Does Fluoride Strengthen Teeth?

Fluoride prevents decay by re-mineralizing your teeth’s surface.

Bacteria in your mouth from sugar and refined carbohydrates create acid that wears down your teeth if left unchecked. When you brush with fluoride toothpaste, the fluoride adds the required minerals to teeth that may have been compromised by your holiday diet.

This prevents cavities, helps your teeth resist acid, and can reverse light tooth decay. Some easy ways to incorporate fluoride into your oral hygiene routine include:

• Fluoride Toothpaste—Brush your teeth twice a day with fluoride toothpaste. Do not rinse your mouth after brushing. Instead, spit out excess toothpaste so that the fluoride remains on your teeth to re-mineralize them.

• Fluoride Mouthwash—Fluoride mouthwash is best used separately from brushing your teeth to avoid rinsing off the fluoride toothpaste. It can be used after you eat instead to maintain oral health between meals.

• Fluoride Rinse Treatment—Opt for a fluoride rinse treatment at your next dental care appointment. These can help to strengthen the enamel on your teeth and should always be professionally administered.

Should You Use Toothpaste Without Fluoride?

While fluoride toothpaste is generally encouraged by dental professionals, toothpaste without fluoride is still an option. For children under six months of age, fluoride-free toothpaste is best.

Toothpaste without fluoride is still beneficial for teeth cleaning and general oral care, but it cannot prevent decay from bacteria. If your holiday foods are likely to contain high amounts of sugar and processed carbohydrates, brushing with fluoride toothpaste is the better alternative.

Don’t Forget to Floss

Regular flossing is an important part of your daily dental hygiene routine. Flossing prevents plaque buildup on the gums and between teeth so that cavities do not form in the crevices of your mouth.

Should You Floss Before or After Eating?

Flossing after you eat is the best option if you feel you have food stuck in between your teeth. In general, flossing at least once a day before you brush your teeth is the optimal schedule.

Affordable Dental Care in Houston, TX

Are you looking for affordable dental services in Houston, TX? Our dentistry program at St. Hope provides a variety of dental services to Texas residents, including oral cancer screenings, routine cleanings, fillings and whitening services.

Whether you need a check-up or specialized care, our team is ready to help. Book an appointment on our website or visit one of our Houston locations today.