1. Grazing
With so many delicious treats on tap at this time of year, it’s easy to find yourself almost continuously grazing over the festive period. Snacking continually during the Christmas period can seriously affect your teeth though... It’s not so much the volume of sugary foods as the number of times you expose your teeth to them that can cause dental issues. Bacteria in the mouth produce acids each time you eat – so lots of little snacks mean lots of teeth attacks!
2. Wrapping Gifts
Just because you can't find the scissors does not mean you should be using your teeth to rip strips of sticky tape for gift wrapping (no matter how last-minute it is)! Without realising it, you are putting pressure on the edges of your teeth and weakening them, allowing for cracks, or even dislodging crowns or veneers.
3. Makeshift Toothpicks
Christmas is a prime time to get things stuck in your teeth, especially with all the party snacks and festive feasting. Using something other than a proper interdental brush to get those ‘sticky bits’ out can cause more damage than help. By poking at your gums and teeth with a sharp tool, you can cause bleeding or actual tooth injuries.
4. Cracking Nuts
Cracking nuts with your teeth is a bad idea! It may sound obvious but so many of us do it. Nutshells are incredibly hard and can shatter teeth causing pain, not to mention that missing teeth do not look good in Christmas photos!
5. Prosecco
Who doesn’t love a glass of fizz at Christmas? While we don’t want to be a Debbie Downer on this one, the fact is that Prosecco is one of the most dentally damaging drinks due to its acid, sugar, and alcohol levels. Everything in moderation 😉
6. Christmas Toffees
Ah, the Christmas selection box… always popular and always contains a toffee or two. Without sounding like Dr Wonka, toffees are every dentist's nightmare. These powerful little ‘treats’ can pull out fillings, crowns, veneers and even bridges.
7. Opening Bottles With Your Teeth
It might be an impressive party trick but just like using your teeth to crack nuts or rip sticky tape, bottle opening is a definite no-no.
8. Forgetting to Brush
It sounds silly but with pyjama days and an endless list of jobs to get done for the day, forgetting to brush teeth happens. Aim to brush for 2 minutes, twice daily and if you brush your teeth as soon as you get up, you are less likely to forget!
9. Festive Injuries
Dental injuries, as points 1-8 indicate, can happen quickly but can also be caused by over-excited pets or children jumping around and accidentally knocking into someone or something or by being bumped at a party with a glass in your hand, knocking into your teeth as you take a sip.
10. Ice Cubes
Throwing a cube or two into a nice glass of Baileys or a Christmas cocktail is a great idea, however, chewing on those ice cubes is something to avoid as it can cause tiny fractures in the enamel and break teeth too. The cold can also affect those with sensitive teeth.
Christmas is a time for family, fun and feasting but can take its toll on our teeth and gums. Follow our 10 top tips to help look after your teeth over Christmas. Should anything untoward happen the team at Audley Dental Solutions are on hand from the New Year to help with any repairs to your teeth or to support you with implants. And if you are overdue a check-up why not make an early New Year’s resolution to book in with our team in January?
