How to Take Care of Your Teeth: Festive Season Edition
With all the activity and excitement around the festive season, taking care of your oral hygiene can sometimes take a back seat - but while the Christmas lights come down in January, your oral health is with you for life! While some things you do to maintain your oral health are year-round endeavours, others need a touch of tweaking for the festive season, as you are even more likely than usual to come in contact with foods and drinks that cause havoc in your mouth! But don’t worry, we’re not here to tell you to abstain - read on to find out our top tips to keeping your mouth healthy throughout the holidays, without giving up the things you love!
Schedule Your Brushing
Unfortunately, brushing your teeth after ingesting acidic or sugary foods and drinks can actually damage your teeth. Delicious things such as chocolate, champagne, and fruit cakes actually soften the enamel which protects your teeth’s surface, and risk erosion if you brush them in this softened state! So should you knock off the tasty treats? No! Just ensure that you wait half an hour between eating and drinking and brushing your teeth, so that you clean the surface of the enamel without damaging it! Easy as (mince) pie!
Sip, Sip, Sip that Water
Drinking water is important year-round, as hydrating your body has endless benefits, from staving off infections to keeping your organs functioning properly. Water also has the benefit of rinsing your mouth and washing away bacteria-forming acids and sugars - so get sipping!
Prepare to Be Caught Out
Whether you’ve had one glass too many or are simply enjoying being in good company, part and parcel of the holiday season is sometimes staying over with family or friends unexpectedly. Unfortunately, one thing you can’t borrow or share is a toothbrush! Make sure to keep one handy in your bag at all times in case you find yourself staying up or out, so that you can relax and enjoy yourself without worrying about missing an important part of your daily routine! Investing in a good quality travel toothbrush is strongly recommended, so that you don’t leave your brush head open and loose in your belongings. The Sonisk Pulse portable sonic toothbrush comes with a handy travel cap with antimicrobial properties to make sure your toothbrush stays hygienic wherever you keep it, and has the added bonus of that deep-clean feeling that only electric toothbrushes can give you!
Get Chomping on Cheese
Good news for cheese lovers out there - cheese is not only “not bad” for your teeth, it’s actually good for them! Cheese has high levels of calcium and phosphate which naturally help to strengthen teeth and bones, as well as being pH balancing, which means that cheese actually neutralises your mouth after ingesting other foods! We’re not sure if cheese boards come last for this reason or if it’s just a happy coincidence, but either way - don’t skip the cheese course!