Don’t Let Holiday Foods Wreck Your Smile
The holidays revolve around junk food. Halloween has its candy, Thanksgiving has its sweet desserts and pies, and Christmas is full of a variety of unhealthy junk foods that can cause cavities to take root in your mouth. While the best way to fight against cavities is to boycott the sweets, your Orange County dentist knows that this isn’t always a viable solution (or one that you will want to embark on,) so instead, we will offer you preventative steps in order to keep cavities at bay.
Brush at Least Twice a Day
It’s always important to brush at least twice a day – preferably, once in the morning, and once in the evening. Colgate is one of the best toothpaste options, since it contains fluoride, xylitol and other ingredients that protect against tooth decay. Brushing should occur in two-minute increments, with the brush staying along the gums and feeling a little more than a tickle. Don’t apply too much pressure, or you can cause damage to the gums. While brushing twice daily is recommended, you might consider brushing more frequently, on occasions when extra sweets have been consumed.
Floss Daily
It’s vital you floss between your teeth and between the pockets of your gums on a daily basis. Flossing is the most effective way to remove food debris from between your teeth and gums, and to help prevent tooth decay. It is recommended to floss during your night time routine, and to use wax floss for best results.
Rinsing
It’s also important to use mouth rinse as part of your dental cleansing routine. Biotene and ACT mouth washes not only kill bacteria, but they have preventative ingredients, as well.
It can be hard to resist the temptation of sugary foods at the holiday, but as long as you follow these preventative measures from your Orange County dentist, you shouldn’t have to worry – just remember to floss that turkey and pumpkin pie from between your teeth.