With Christmas just around the corner, we’re all gearing up for the festivities to get underway. Mince pies, champagne, boxes and bags of sweets will no doubt make their way into our holiday diets. It’s a fun time of the year, but spare a thought for your teeth.
Constant snacking, drinking and eating of sugary foods and drinks over Christmas can make the holiday period a horrible time for teeth. Christmas Day, Boxing Day, and other holidays can put teeth in harms way.
To help you out, The Glenroy Dental Group has partnered with Santa’s elves to come up with tips for maintaining your dental health during the holidays.
We’ve put together 4 great ways to make an advent calendar dental-smart as well as 7 tips to make your holiday seasons a healthy and happy one for you, your loved ones, and their teeth!
A Healthy Advent Calendar
#1. A Puzzling Treat
Give your child a fun challenge with a customized puzzle. Draw a picture or write a special message on a blank puzzle. Break the pieces apart and place one puzzle piece in each day of your advent calendar.
#2. Holiday Activity Fun
For each day of the month come up with a fun holiday activity that you can do together as a family. Write down the activity on a slip of paper and tuck one note into each day of your advent calendar.
#3. Story-A-Day
Nothing beats a good story. Pick out a holiday-themed book for every day of your countdown. Have your child open a new book each night at bedtime and read it together
#4. Sugar-Free Trinkets
Find some simple trinkets to fill each day on your calendar instead of candy. The dollar store is a great place to find fun items without spending a lot.
Once you have your dental-friendly advent calendar for your kids, its time to turn attention to tips for your dental health:
#1. Water, water, water!
Drinking water is always good for your health. Our bodies are made of 60% water, and staying hydrated helps your system distribute healthy nutrients, gets rid of waste, gives your skin a healthy glow and keeps your muscles moving. Sipping water is also one of the best things you can do for your teeth – especially if it’s fluoridated. Water strengthens your teeth, keeps your mouth clean, fights dry mouth, and contains no calories!
#2. Chew sugarless gum.
Sugarless gum creates more saliva production and helps to wash away sugar and harmful acids.
#3. Make the holiday meaningful.
We often structure our holiday events around food, but this is good for your teeth or your waistline. To take the focus off of food, set up activities like board and card games, craft projects or holiday movie marathons.
#4. Take more turkey.
One holiday food that’s great for your bite is turkey. It’s a great source of phosphorus and protein – both of which can help your body fight tooth decay and keep your teeth strong and healthy.
#5. Fill up on fruit
Instead of piling on sugary desserts at your holiday meal, turn to fruit instead. If you’re having a big dinner or party, rather than prepping a number of cakes and pies, try sticking to one sweet dessert and then prep a big fruit plate to satisfy your sweet tooth.
#6. Don’t forget your dentist at The Glenroy Dental Group!
The holidays can be a hectic time, but that doesn’t mean you can forget about your teeth. If you are due for your regular dental checkup, don’t forget to visit your dentist in December. If you use some time during your holiday season for a full exam and cleaning, you’ll break up the plaque that’s recently accumulated on teeth, and have a white, wonderful smile for the rest of the holidays and the year to come.
#7. Watch the sweets and chocolates.
We all know that most of us eat far too many sweets, chocolates and generally unhealthy foodstuffs at this time of the year. This increase in the quantity of sugar consumed is likely to create more acids and bacteria that can attack our teeth and gums that can cause tooth decay, bad breath, gum disease, and tooth loss among others. Cut back on sugar and consider alternatives such as nuts and cheese that are less acidic and can help to avoid the damage that sugar can do.
The Glenroy Dental Group and You
The Glenroy Dental Group is your trusted Glenroy dentist. Your health and happiness, and that of your children and family, are our ultimate dental goals.
We use the most modern technology available and employ the latest dental techniques to ensure that your dental health and appearance are at the highest level. We want you to receive the best possible dental care with no pain or anxiety!
Our offices are conveniently located in the Pascoe Vale Road shopping strip, Glenroy, with ample parking space, we are located within easy walking distance of the Glenroy train station.
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