Few more days and it will be Christmas. It is common to see different kinds of sweets, pastries, and other carbs on the table during the holiday feast. We will often end up overindulging ourselves with these delicious treats, and keeping our mouth healthy during the holiday season seems to be a real challenge. 

Don’t let the bacteria in your mouth get festive on the sugars you eat.  Protect the oral health of your family as you enjoy this important time of the year. The tips below will surely keep your teeth during the holidays. 

• Never crack nuts with your teeth

Nuts are one of the favorite snacks to serve on the holiday feast. Your teeth are strong; however, you should not test them by using your teeth as a nutcracker. The nutshells can wear out your teeth, injure your gums, or worse, a crack in your tooth. If you can’t find a nutcracker nearby, then opt for other treats. 

• Avoid chewy delights

Candies are the enemy of your teeth. The sugar in it will fuel the bacteria in your mouth and encourage them to produce more acids that can harm your oral health. Avoid hard and sticky foods as they can be hard to remove when they stick to your teeth. More reason to avoid these foods if you have fillings as they can yank it out. 

• Indulge in moderation

The holiday season comes only once every year. We might overindulge ourselves with the holiday feast, especially with all the gatherings we might get invited to. You don’t have to ban all sugars and carbs on the menu; however, try to include a healthy zone in your dining table where you can grab fresh fruits and vegetables whenever you like to. The key here is to make your table well-balanced by preparing healthy meals and snacks. Apart from that, drink colored beverages in moderation. While red wine is rich in antioxidants, it can also stain your teeth. 

• No to grazing

You might be overwhelmed with the assortment of foods available for the holidays that you end grazing to try to eat everything you see on the table. Grazing for hours can put your teeth at higher risk of tooth decay because this means that the acid on your mouth will work endlessly to damage your teeth. Discipline yourself to eat only in one sitting and then distract yourself by engaging in conversation with the people in the gathering. 

• Make healthy swaps 

True, the gingerbread on the table is very tempting, as if it’s encouraging you to take a bite. While grabbing a bite on it wouldn’t hurt, it is still important to be smart enough on your choice of snacks. Say, munch on lettuce or cheese, especially if you drink soft drinks since it can help neutralize the acid in your mouth. Or go for a hot choco with less chocolate in it for a healthier set of teeth. 

• Stick to your routine oral hygiene

The holidays should not give you an excuse to do away with your daily oral hygiene. Make sure to brush and floss your teeth at least twice a day. Besides these, you can also gargle with mouthwash to wash away the sugar from your consumed foods. 

• Honor your dental appointments

Sometimes, your dental appointments can fall days before the holidays.  During this time, you may be very busy shopping and preparing for the holiday gatherings that skipping your dental exam seems to be an attractive solution. Make sure to find time to squeeze in your dental checkup; consider this as your gift to yourself this holiday season.