Dental Health Over The Christmas And New Year Period

Keeping your teeth and gums healthy and some aesthetic considerations for the New Year.

As this will almost certainly be our last blog of 2024, we thought we would take a look at some of the things you can and should do over the festivities to keep your teeth safe and healthy. We will also look at a few things which you might want to consider in 2025 to help them look more attractive and enhance your smile.

These are just a few of the cosmetic dental procedures that we have on offer at the Cygnet Dental Practice of course, and we recommend having a good look at our website for more information before making a decision on any teeth improvement treatments.

Let us start then, with some ways that you can help to protect your teeth at Christmas so that you can hopefully avoid the need for any significant restoration work after the holidays. We’ll also suggest some cosmetic dental treatments that can benefit patients of our popular Wickford dental clinic who are looking to give their smile a boost in the new year.

Maintain diligent cleaning

The most important thing that you can do over the Christmas and new year period is the same thing that you should be doing the rest of the year, and that is to maintain a good quality daily oral health regime. This includes brushing (with a relatively new toothbrush so that the bristles aren’t worn) and using dental floss.

If this all seems straightforward, it may not seem that way at the end of a very long day with relatives and friends, and especially when alcohol has been consumed. There is a good chance that many of us will be tempted to head straight to bed without making the effort to brush our teeth. Given that we will probably have eaten more high sugar foods at this time, this only makes the problem worse if we go to bed with our teeth coated in sticky sugary products.

Above all then, however shattered you are feeling at the end of the day, make sure to thoroughly clean your teeth in order to give them a good chance of surviving the Christmas sugar onslaught.

Be careful with alcohol

In addition to making you tired and more likely to skip cleaning your teeth, alcohol can cause oral health problems in a number of ways. The most common of these is to contribute to the problem of gum disease. This is more likely due to the fact that alcohol can cause the mouth to become very dry and dehydrated. When this happens, potentially harmful bacteria start to breed and multiply and it is these that can lead to gingivitis and periodontitis. This can cause teeth to become loose and even fall out if not treated soon enough.

Alcohol consumption is also behind a large percentage of accidents. A fall or collision could cause you to break or crack a tooth. Hopefully this won’t happen to you, but if it does, make sure to contact us to book an emergency dentistry appointment as soon as you can.

Sugar

We need only be brief here as most people know that sugar is bad for your teeth. We all know that we are likely to consume more than usual. Do try to avoid overindulging in sweets and chocolates and try to eat more tooth friendly snacks this festive season.

New Year thoughts to improve your smile

Having hopefully survived the festivities without the need for any restorative work on your teeth, the new year can be an ideal time to do something about the way that they look. While there are longer term treatments such as orthodontics, today we are going to take a look at two popular treatments that can transform the appearance of your smile in a very short period of time.

Teeth whitening

One treatment that is usually very popular in the first few months of the new year is the teeth whitening procedure. In addition to the fact that it is a quick way to brighten your smile, it also requires no invasive treatment and is affordable for a growing number of people, especially if you take advantage of our payment plans.

By providing you with custom trays to place the whitening agent in, you can carry this treatment out at home over a couple of weeks or so, leaving you with more attractive, whiter teeth in just a short period of time.

Although the effects will eventually wear off, they are quite long lasting and the treatment can be repeated as often as you like with no negative effects on your teeth.

Dental veneers

Not everyone will get the maximum benefit from a tooth whitening procedure and you will need to see one of our Wickford cosmetic dentists to decide on the best approach for you. If you have badly stained teeth or if they have small chips or cracks, the dentist might recommend dental veneers instead. These are used to replace the affected tooth enamel and are attached using a strong, special adhesive following the removal of a fine layer from the front surface of the stained teeth.

Although this treatment does require an invasive procedure, the veneers look entirely natural and, providing that you look after them as you should, your veneers can last for approximately ten years or possibly even more.

We hope that you all have a happy and safe Christmas and hopefully avoid any problems with your teeth. If you do need to see a dentist urgently, please call the Cygnet Dental Practice on 01268 733078. If we are closed, there will be a message on our answerphone advising where to go for emergency dental care.

You can also call us on the above number if you would like to arrange an initial consultation for one of the cosmetic dental treatments mentioned above, or indeed any other on our website.

As this will be our last blog until 2025, we wish you all a Happy Christmas and New Year!