Holiday season is fast approaching. It’s the season of giving and providing presents to your loved ones and also the time we indulge ourselves with desserts. Fresh cakes, sweets that you only taste during this season. But statistically 34% more dental emergencies occur during the holidays.

Many dental offices are closed or are operating with limited hours over the holidays. We’ll cover what you can do this holiday season to reduce your risk of having a dental emergency in your family.

We have compiled a list of foods that you need to be careful with, as these items can cause your teeth to crack or break if not eating carefully:

Tooth-busting foods to watch out for are:

  1. Popcorn (watch out for hard corns)
  2. Nuts 
  3. Bones
  4. Hard Candy
  5. Pits
  6. Nutritional Bars
  7. Hard Breads
  8. Corn on the Cob
  9. Jerky

 If your last dental checkup or clean and scale has been longer than six months ago it is important to arrange a cleaning or talk to your dentist to reduce the number of dental emergency services needed for the Christmas period. 

Below are some tips on how to protect your smile so you have healthy teeth and gums, and a healthy smile for the holidays. 

1. Dental examination beforehand – Instead, use the extra time during the holidays to visit your dentist. If you haven’t had a clean-up in years and only have one, remove it from your self-help list for the year.  You have visited your dentist for the entire year and you know exactly what you need before this season. Such as teeth implants, caps and veneers, or just professionally whiten your teeth in the office, push them off.

2. Having healthy dental habits – There is nothing better than celebrating with the family and of course indulging in the sweet treats that are served only at this time of year. It is also full of anticipation and it’s a great time to see your family and enjoy all the sweets and treats that are only served at this time of year! Unfortunately, all these last activities can easily lead to problems with teeth and gums if you don’t have healthy dental habits added to your daily routine. Luckily, we have a list of how you can sustain your daily healthy smile during this time of the year. 

  • Proper brushing your teeth 
  • The use of fluoride toothpaste
  • Brushing your teeth before bedtime.
  • Same goes with Flossing your teeth
  • Minimize your sweet intake.
  • Use a mouthwash

3. Dental Emergency kit – It’s inevitable that some member of your family might have trouble with teeth, especially the young ones. It is best to prepare yourself a dental emergency kit. We have a list of what you can include on your dental kit when the time comes you need them. For general needs you may need:

  • Gauze
  • Cold pack
  • Dental floss
  • Cotton balls
  • Dental mirror

For toothaches, over-the-counter painkillers like ibuprofen or paracetamol

Holidays are often the only chance to eat healthily and eat healthily during the holiday season. While you can expect to lose some weight in the New Year, oral health is still a matter to consider. Since everyone always looks forward to hearty meals and thoughtful gifts, the holidays can be a time when you have to be careful what you eat. Holidays are often one of the few opportunities you have this year to eat and enjoy healthy foods such as fruits, vegetables, nuts, fruits and vegetables.