Hannukah, Christmas, Kwanzaa, and more are all being celebrated in the next two weeks., Which means plenty of holiday events and gatherings, many of which will contain lots of sugary foods and drinks. We want you to enjoy your time with your family, but also keep your smile in mind. In today’s blog, your Richardson, TX, family dentist talks about protecting your smile during the holidays, and even offers some tips for fun stocking stuffers that are good for smiles of all ages!
Picking Fun Stocking Stuffers
You don’t have to load up your family’s stockings with nothing but candy and other sweets. Instead, you can pick some items that help them enjoy bright and healthy smiles in the year to come. For example, you can pick up tongue scrapers, electric toothbrushes for kids and adults, and even at-home teeth whitening kits from our office. You can also find these items in stores, as well as mouthwashes and fun floss picks for kids. For sweets, you can also add fresh fruit to their stockings too! Everyone can still enjoy a happy holiday without leaving their smiles vulnerable to painful toothaches and more in the months ahead.
Keep Brushing and Flossing!
During the holiday season, kids will be out of school and many families will be hitting the road, traveling to see family and attend parties. Despite these checkups to your schedule, be sure you and your children still take time to care for your teeth. Regardless of where you are during the celebrations, be sure you start and end each day by brushing your teeth for two minutes. You also need to floss in the evening to remove what is beyond the reach of your toothbrush. These actions help limit the risk of plaque buildup, and also aid in the prevention of cavities and gum issues too. Be sure your toothpaste contains fluoride too, as this helps strengthen the outer enamel. Kids three and younger should use a rice-sized amount, while everyone else should use a pea-sized amount.
Watch Your Sugar/Starch Consumption
This time of year inundates all of us with sugary treats, from Christmas tree cakes and cookies, to pies and hot chocolate. While we want everyone to enjoy their favorite holiday meals, we also want to make sure they do so in moderation. Otherwise, the particles left behind on our smiles could be used to create plaque buildup and weaken the enamel to cause cavities. Try to drink plenty of water, and balance your sugary sweets with healthy items too. Working together, you can help your family enjoy healthy smiles in the weeks and months after your celebrations, limiting their risk of cavities.
See Us Soon!
If you haven’t had your last checkup and cleaning of 2022, you should schedule one now. There is still time to see us for an exam and to have your teeth cleaned. The checkup is a chance for our team to examine the smile with detailed digital technology, making a diagnosis with precision and accuracy. We can also clean the teeth, removing the harmful layers of plaque and tartar to fight bad breath, teeth stains, cavities, gingivitis, and more. For kids, we can also offer preventive treatments, like fluoride gel and dental sealants in the same visit, which helps lower their risk of cavities. Dental sealants also offer protection for the rear teeth for up to ten years in some cases!
We can also provide treatment for issues like tooth decay with lifelike fillings, so you greet 2023 with a bright and healthy smile. If you see us soon you can also use your remaining 2022 dental insurance benefits before they expire at the end of the year. You can also put any remaining health savings funds that may not roll over into 2022 to good use too.
If you have any questions about protecting your smiles during the holidays, or if you want to pick up some unique stocking stuffers from our team, then give us a call today or stop by. We’re ready to help you and your family enjoy better smiles in 2023 and beyond!
Your Richardson, TX, Dentist Wants You To Enjoy a Healthy Smile
We want you to enjoy your events and gatherings without leaving your smiles vulnerable. For more information on keeping teeth bright and health during the winter season, then please schedule a consultation by calling the Viva Dental Family Dentistry office nearest you at (214) 337-7800 (Dallas) or (972) 437-6000 (Richardson). Our team is ready to see you before the year comes to an end!
