The holiday season often calls for people to “eat, drink, and be merry,” but too many sugary treats will cause you to ring in the new year with cavities. With so many opportunities for eating and drinking during the holidays, there are also more opportunities for the bacteria in your mouth to cause tooth decay and cavities, along with various other issues. To avoid spending the holidays in the dentist’s chair, consider these tips for proper oral health.

5 Tips for Holiday Dental Health

1. Drink Plenty of Water

Water not only keeps you hydrated and helps reduce the effects of alcohol during holiday get-togethers, but it also keeps your teeth healthy. Drinking water rinses food particles from the teeth and produces saliva that keeps cavity-causing bacteria in check.

2. Choose Tooth-Friendly Snacks

When you’re perusing the holiday buffet, add some cheese and vegetables to your plate. Cheese helps maintain the pH of your mouth, reducing the acid that can break down enamel while fighting bacteria. Veggies, like carrots or cauliflower, and fruits, like apples and strawberries, fill you up and remove food particles as well as stain-causing bacteria from your teeth.

3. Eat Sweets With Your Meal

Your dentist doesn’t want you to skip Grandma’s famous pecan pie altogether, but they recommend eating your sweets with a meal to protect against cavities. When you enjoy cookies, cake, and other sugary delights with your meal, your mouth produces more saliva to wash away the harmful bacteria.

4. Remember Your Dental Work

If you have had dental work done, such as crowns or bridges, or recently had your teeth whitened, be mindful of what you eat and drink to avoid damage. Eating excessively sticky or hard foods can cause your teeth to chip or break; for instance, red wine can cause stains. If you can’t resist sticky, crunchy, or chewy treats, have small portions and chew carefully.

5. Maintain Dental Hygiene

While you might be tempted to skimp on brushing and flossing or reschedule your annual visit to the dentist during the busy holiday season, you shouldn’t. Sticking with your normal routine ensures you will have healthy teeth throughout the holidays and beyond.

For friendly, gentle dental care for the whole family, turn to Jerry A. Laws, DDS, and Caitlin Miller Pugh, DMD. For nearly four decades, this practice has served the Lexington, NC, area, providing general and cosmetic dentistry. To learn more about this practice, visit them online, or call (336) 249-7708 for an appointment.