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The holidays’ emphasis on sweet treats and decadent foods can spell trouble for your teeth. Fortunately, you can protect them in a few simple ways and avoid needing to see a dentist sooner than expected.

4 Tips to Care for Your Teeth Over the Holidays

1. Limit the Alcohol

If you’re of age, the holidays are a popular time for drinking with friends and family. But alcohol can soften and erode enamel with its acidity. It also contributes to dehydration and dry mouth, and saliva contains bacteria-fighting properties that help reduce your risk of cavities. Plus, many holiday drinks, like eggnog and punches, have a high sugar content, further contributing to cavities. With these risks in mind, moderate your alcohol intake.

2. Avoid Over-Snacking

dentistThe holidays bring lots of cookies and treats, but each time you eat, you’re spurring bacteria in your mouth to create more acid, leading to cavities. Snacking is also an easy way to increase your intake of starches and sugars that feed bacteria. 

3. Embrace Cosmetic Dentistry

If you’re trying to get a whiter smile for holiday pictures and parties, don’t resort to home remedies like charcoal scrubs that can weaken your enamel. Speak with your dentist about safe solutions for a whiter, more even smile in time for pictures.

Professional whitening will get you immediate results without damaging your teeth. Veneers, thin porcelain sheets that cover the front of teeth, can fix most minor flaws, including stains and gaps.

4. Don’t Use Your Teeth for Anything But Eating

While you may be tempted, don’t use your teeth to cut tape, tear ribbons, pull open corked bottles, or any other task besides eating. These activities stress your teeth, which can lead to cracked enamel. While the cracks may not be visible, they can cause tooth sensitivity, allow deep stains to set in, and make cavities develop faster.

 

A necessary step to protect your teeth from holiday damage is to schedule a post-holiday checkup with an experienced dentist. With over 30 years of experience, the team at Helmbrecht Dental in Fairbanks will examine your teeth to check for cavities, cracked enamel, and stains. From whitening to veneers to fillings, they offer reliable general and cosmetic dentistry treatments. Learn more about their services online, and call (907) 456-1237 for an appointment today.

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