The arrival of Fall usually heralds the start of a new season. The fall brings a chillier breeze, the trees yellowing, and, most importantly, the holiday season.
We have just entered the Holiday season in Canada, which normally means family reunions and get-togethers with friends. This also means great feasts.
It is difficult to keep healthy over the holidays. Sweets seem to emerge everywhere, and there is not much time to spend on yours and your family’s health and well-being with all of the gift-wrapping and card-writing.
We frequently worry about cholesterol and blood sugar levels, but when was the last time you gave your oral health any thought? When was the last time you made a concerted effort to keep your oral health in check during the holidays?
Dental hygiene is frequently out of sight and out of mind, especially around the holidays. It is a common assumption that if we brush and floss on a regular basis, we will be fine for the rest of the Christmas season.
However, studies have shown that throughout the calendar, the holiday season is when most individuals experience the most decline when it comes to their dental health. This could be due to the close proximity of holiday celebrations that involve a plethora of dishes that you may not have known can cause some dental health issues.
Thanksgiving
Since 1957, the second Monday in October has been designated as Thanksgiving in Canada. It is a time for people to express gratitude for a successful harvest and other good circumstances in the previous year.
For many people, the second Monday in October is a holiday. They often take advantage of the three-day Thanksgiving vacation to visit distant relatives or friends or to receive them in their own homes. Many people prepare a special dinner to savor during the holiday weekend. Traditional Thanksgiving fare included roast turkey and seasonal fruits like pumpkin, corn ears, and pecan nuts.
Dental Health Hazards on Thanksgiving
Some dishes that are known to cause tooth damage are:
- Alcohol and Sweetened Drinks
Over the Thanksgiving weekend, there is nothing wrong with having a glass or two of your favourite drink; but always bear in mind to consume this in moderation. Too much wine, beer, and sugary drinks can cause serious tooth decay. Not only may they stain and discolour your teeth, but they also dry out your mouth and limit saliva production, which eliminates plaque and bacteria from the surface of your teeth.
Red wine has been shown in several studies to be beneficial to heart health. Still, exercise caution when it comes to consuming alcoholic beverages.
- Carbohydrates and Stuffing
Rolls and stuffing are unquestionably staples of the Thanksgiving meal, but beware.
While sugary sweets have long been associated with tooth decay, they are not the sole offenders. Starch transforms into sugars that fuel microorganisms in your mouth, which is a little-known fact. Foods like cornbread and mashed potatoes, like sugary foods, can nourish dangerous microorganisms.
Sugary carbohydrates in these starchy foods build up bacteria in the mouth and can contribute to cavities. If you still want to indulge, drink a few glasses of water afterward to wash away the food particles.
- Fruit Cake
Fruitcake, a Thanksgiving and Christmas classic, looks to be a nutritious dessert; after all, the word “fruit” is right there in the name! Sad to say, fruitcake includes a lot of dried fruit, which contain a lot of sugar and can lead to serious tooth disease.
Dried fruit has considerably more sugar than fresh fruit and lacks the water that makes fruit so healthy. Because dried fruit is so sticky, it can stay to your teeth for a long time after you have done eating it.
Because of its sugary and sticky nature, fruitcake is terrible for your teeth. If you are looking for something different, consider a fresh fruit crumble, which has significantly less sugar and is not as sticky.
- Cranberry Sauce
In many homes, cranberry sauce is a Thanksgiving staple, although it is rarely eaten at other times of the year. Despite its tart flavor, cranberry sauce is rich in sugar and lacks nutritional benefits.
In fact, one of the most popular cranberry sauce alternatives, canned cranberry sauce, contains mainly sugar or sugar substitutes per can and no protein or fibre. The cavity-causing bacteria in your mouth get their energy and nutrition from all of that sugar.
To limit the amount of sugar your family consumes this holiday season, look for a recipe that calls for fresh cranberries as an alternative.
Halloween
In Canada, Halloween is observed on or around October 31. It’s a day to commemorate the one night of the year when, according to ancient Celtic beliefs, spirits and the dead can enter the realm of the living. Some people have parties, and youngsters may go door-to-door trick-or-treating.
There are several foods that are linked with Halloween spirit. Candy in packages with Halloween symbols, toffee apples produced by coating real apples with a boiled sugar solution, roasted corn, popcorn, and pumpkin pie or bread are among them.
Preventing Halloween Dental Health Hazards
The main individuals who are most at risk when it comes to dental health issues during Halloween are children. The tradition of handing out Holloween candies and other forms of sweets has been around for a while and without proper supervision, these children could be at risk of developing dental issues.
Here are a few steps you can take to make sure this does not happen:
- Water
Water is your best friend. Water helps wash away unwanted sugar residue and helps minimize the effects of sugar on the teeth.
This isn’t necessarily a one-time solution. Proper brushing and flossing can significantly reduce the likelihood of developing dental health issues associated with candies and other forms of sweet snacks
- Time the candies well
This means that you give ample time in between sweet snacks. Binging on any form of food is never good for you, even more so when we are talking about food loaded with sugar.
The best that you can do is to make sure that your diet is balanced. Eating these sugary treats shortly after mealtime can help cancel out the acids produced by bacteria in your mouth and reduce the risk of dental health issues, as salivary glands produce more saliva during these times.
- Brush Brush Brush
Drinking water alone cannot and will never wash away all the damaging sugars in your mouth. Letting them soak in your teeth will encourage the development of bacteria which will, in turn, cause cavities and other forms of dental issues.
Brushing properly and regularly is your best option to mitigate the risks involved with sugary snacks. Make sure to use fluoride toothpaste that has passed government requirements to ensure that you are getting a good clean.
Also bear in mind to replace your toothbrush every 2 to 3 months. A worn out brush will not do a good job cleaning your teeth. Flossing is also highly encouraged as decay usually starts in places where the bristles on your brush just can’t reach.
Christmas and New Year Celebration
Ah yes, the Christmas season. Christmas is celebrated almost the same way throughout the western world. Family and friends get together over a Christmas feast.
For many people, Christmas is their favourite time of year. Unfortunately, it’s also the worst time for teeth. Overeating sweets, drinking too much wine, and acting rashly can all raise the chances of needing to visit the dentist during the holiday season.
It may be the most lovely time of the year, but your teeth may not agree if you don’t take the necessary measures over the holidays.
Preserving Dental Health on Christmas
You can preserve a cavity-free smile while enjoying Christmas foods and sweets. Follow these Christmas oral health tips to ensure your teeth and gums enjoy a holly, jolly good time all season long.
- It is not always about what we drink (although don’t overdo the alcohol and acidic drinks), it’s about how long they sit in our mouth.
- Sticky sweets such as caramel and other candies can leave behind sugary residue that may be difficult to remove, even with thorough brushing
- You might want to brush more often as the more you eat during the holidays, the more unwanted residue is left in your mouth. This can cause more problems not just tooth decay but will surely affect gum health as well.
- No matter what, never use your teeth as a tool. If there is a package you can’t seem to open, just take a pair of scissors.
- Sour sweets are now rising in popularity. Yes, they still contain a significant amount of sugar in them, but they also contain acid. This eats away at your enamel and will likely lead to tooth decay, tooth loss, and gum infections.
Post Holiday Season Dental Care and Tips
Following these dental care tips at home over the holidays can only do so much in preventing oral health issues.
The majority of the oral health issues you will experience (except a chipped tooth perhaps) do not happen within a day or two. These issues build up over time, so it’s best not to ignore your dental health practices.
To maintain your oral health, a good idea would be to seek professional consultation after the holidays. Dental health experts can give a thorough assessment of the state of your oral health and can give you a deeper insight. Furthermore, they can perform more specialized procedures to prevent tooth decay and gum disease.
If you need a trusted dentist in Brampton, turn to Springdale Dental Centre. We provide holistic dental healthcare for you and your family. Call us today at 905-458-1212 or email info@springdaledental.com to book an appointment.
