Everybody likes to indulge themselves a bit, or a lot,
during the festive period and who am I to discourage anyone from doing so?
However, once the festive dust has settled, the candles have all burned out and you've eaten every piece of chocolate in sight, are your teeth going to be
aching under the strain?
Toothache isn't fun for anyone and, while it may be too late
to pull the plug on your Christmas pig-out, increasing your tooth care in the
New Year may just save you from pain in the long term.
Give Your Teeth a Break
This is something that you might be planning to do anyway;
due to an overindulgence of sweet treats over the festive period, but it is a
good idea to give your teeth a break from these types of food. This is
especially the case for sticky food like toffees and caramel. These tend to
become lodged between teeth and fill the places that are the most difficult to
clean. Crisps are also a big culprit of this type of problem, as the little
bits will find their way into any gaps in the tops of your teeth.
The build-up of this could lead to cavities and the
emergence of plaque. Plaque is a film that covers the teeth, caused by bacteria
and can easily harden to form tartar if left for a couple of days. With all
that work they will have been doing recently, it is probably best to give them
a good clean and lay off the chewing substances for a while.
Give those molars a break.
There’s More Than Just Brushing
We all know that brushing your teeth is a must and is a very
effective way of keeping on top of your oral health but there is a lot more you
can be doing to improve the standard of your gnashes. Similar to the way in
which you would spring clean your home to have a proper clear out; after a
period of excessive strain on your teeth, it might be a good idea to give them
some thorough attention.
As well as brushing, it is advisable to floss regularly so
that you can prevent the build-up of bacteria in those hard to reach places.
Brushes rarely manage to clean in between teeth, where bacteria love to gather,
so flossing is the best way to combat this. Also after you have brushed, there
may be bits of bacteria or food that have become dislodged but are still
hanging around in your mouth. Rinsing with mouth wash for a couple of minutes
will help to remove these more effectively.
Brushes should not be your only weapon of choice.
Book a Dentist Appointment
During Christmas, it’s unlikely to be a priority on
anybody’s list for them to make a trip to the dentist. However, after a sustained
period of eating all sorts of things that may be harmful to your teeth, it is
important that you book a check-up to make sure everything is fine.
Waiting until a problem occurs before having it checked out
could lead to the problem being more difficult to treat. Toothache is a sign
that anything causing trouble has already reached the middle of the tooth,
where the nerves can be found, and so pre-empting this is advisable. If you
visit your dentist soon after Christmas then you will be given the peace of
mind to know that you teeth have survived the festive feast unscathed.
Chris Mayhew writes here on behalf of Smile care Cosmetic
Centre. This cosmetic dentist offers professional and reliable services
including implants, crowns and teethwhitening in Devon and the surrounding areas.
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