The ADA has put together an Oral Health Survival Kit with useful tips on how to enjoy the festive season and still emerge in the new year with your oral health intact.
Mouthguards
Even if the kids don’t have sports club games, heading out to play these games during the Christmas break still needs mouthguards – and the same goes for any activities where there’s risk of mouth injury. Over summer just about everyone spends more time outdoors – whether it’s kids climbing trees or the whole family playing backyard cricket on Christmas Day. Whatever the occasion, make sure the mouthguards get washed and left somewhere handy so everyone can find them easily for safe summer sports and games.
Avoid thoughtless eating and drinking
Dentists love a party the same as the next person. “We’re not the Grinch, but at this time of year it’s about moderation,” said Dr Sanzaro.
Thoughtless eating is when we eat without even thinking twice about it, it’s eating because food is there, not because we’re hungry. An easy rule of thumb before reaching for that next sweet treat is to ask yourself: ‘am I really hungry?’ Consider a more tooth-friendly snack instead, such as savoury popcorn.
The ADA’s Tooth-friendly Treats Cookbook includes 20 dentist-recommended sweet treat recipes that are great to get you through the holiday season when you want something sweet. It makes a great Christmas gift and profits from the sales go to the Australian Dental Health Foundation, which helps disadvantaged Australians access dental care. Purchase the hard copy or e-book.
Can the candy cane
Hard lollies are the worst. They’re made of 100% sugar and are often responsible for accidents involving broken teeth or fillings, particularly if they are being chewed They also take longer to dissolve in the mouth, meaning the teeth are exposed to sugar for longer, increasing the risk of tooth decay, so swap for a tooth-friendly treat or a small, non-edible one instead.
Limit sugary drinks and alcohol
Most people are aware that sugary drinks can contribute to tooth decay – but alcohol is an aspect of Christmas people don’t normally associate with tooth decay – with regular alcoholic drinks potentially increasing the risk.
If drinking spirits, minimise your sugar intake by choosing soda water as a mixer rather than a soft drink like lemonade. Drinking a glass of water between alcoholic drinks is also a good idea as it helps to rinse away some of the acid from the drink. Alcohol can also make you dehydrated, so regularly drinking water can also help you to stay hydrated because a dry mouth is also a factor in tooth decay risk. For kids it’s useful to be aware that there are typically 26 teaspoons of sugar in an average one litre cola bottle, so encourage them to drink tap water or milk instead of sugary drinks to help prevent decay.
For both adults and kids, it’s recommended to drink sugary drinks through a straw. Minimising sugar exposure to the teeth. One final tip – wait at least an hour between your last alcoholic or fizzy drink and teeth brushing. Brushing too soon can damage the softened tooth enamel caused by acidity in the drinks.
Flossing
With all the eating and drinking you may be doing, don’t forget to floss daily – or if you don’t do it yet, make the Christmas break a great time to get into the habit. It only takes a few minutes a day and helps to remove all the food debris sitting between your teeth. In fact, brushing only removes 60% of food debris and you need to floss to remove the remaining 40%. If you don’t, consider that you’ll have small particles of food rotting between your teeth.
Looking after your teeth while on holidays and travelling
To avoid dental issues while you’re a long way from home and your local dentist, book in appointments for the family before you go. That way any niggling issues can be resolved before heading off, and the kids can have their back-to-school checkup ahead of the usual end of January scramble for appointments.
If you’re travelling, keep up the dental basics while away – stopping brushing and flossing even for three days can result in plaque build-up and gingivitis starting. A toothbrush, toothpaste and flossing device take up minimal space in your luggage and will go a long way to protecting your oral health while travelling. In some countries where drinking tap water is out, staying hydrated and brushing with bottled water will do a good a job in the short term. Lastly, pack mouthguards if you’re planning sporting or leisure activities.
For more information check this link: https://ada.org.au/have-fun-this-christmas-but-look-after-your-oral-health-too-say-dentists
