Happy Christmas To Our Wickford And Rayleigh Patients!
The Cygnet Dental Practice offers some practical Christmas tips for healthy teeth.
With just a few days to go before the Christmas festivities start, most of our patients will either be starting to wind down for the holidays, or perhaps even just starting their last minute Christmas shopping. One thing that they are probably not doing, is giving much thought to oral health issues that can occur at this time of the year.
This is entirely understandable, of course, and it is our role, as local family dentists, to offer some useful advice which will hopefully get you through the Christmas festivities with no real problems.
Below, we offer a few simple pieces of advice about how to look after your teeth and gums at Christmas:
Don’t forget to brush and floss – It can be easy, especially if we are tired at the end of the day, to go to bed without brushing our teeth. Doing so means that our teeth are coated with sugars and acids for many hours whilst we sleep. Especially given the high sugar consumption at this time of year, this is a very bad idea!
Mind the alcohol – Alcohol causes a dry mouth, which provides the right conditions for potentially harmful bacteria to thrive. This can lead to problems such as gingivitis and periodontitis. Try to moderate your alcohol intake, perhaps alternating alcohol drinks with non alcoholic ones. Falls and accidents, including those that cause facial injuries, are also more common when we are under the influence of alcohol.
Eat healthily – By all means, indulge yourself a bit, but don’t go over the top. We tend to ‘graze’ on sweets and other sugary products, perhaps whilst watching TV, over long periods of time. Try to take a break to allow your saliva to wash some of the sugars away. Better still, alternate sweets with small pieces of cheese. These are excellent at restoring a healthy balance to your mouth.
Use a bottle opener – There is every chance that we will see at least one patient at the Cygnet Dental Practice, after Christmas, who has broken a tooth by trying to open a bottle with their teeth or perhaps attempting to crack a nut. This is obviously a foolish thing to do, and you run a real risk of not only breaking your teeth, but also suffering from other potentially serious facial injuries too.
Early resolutions – It never hurts to start your New Year resolutions just a few days early and we always recommend that improving your oral health care should be on the list. You can start this by making an appointment at our Wickford dental practice, especially if you have not seen a dentist for some time. Regular professional dental care is important, and you can book your appointment by calling us on 01268 733078. Also, if you are unhappy with any aspect of how your teeth look, why not talk to us about the cosmetic dental procedures that we have available at the Cygnet Dental Practice?