We don’t want to get all bah humbug with Christmas just days away and everyone getting ready and geared up for the festivities. Yet we did think it important to share some of our own festive advice and some pointers from the British Oral Health Foundation.

Here at Strand on the Green Dental Practice, we want to help you celebrate in the best way possible without damaging your dental health!

1.    Pass on the toffees

One of the main reasons people seek an emergency dental appointment over the festive period is from accidentally removing a crown or filling thanks to toffees or other sticky sweets. We don’t want to appear like the Grinch, however, if you have needed restorations to be done on your teeth in the past then please protect them by passing on the toffees.

2.    Beware of the mince pies, Christmas cake and pudding

Mince pies, Christmas cake and Christmas pudding may satisfy millions of people after a traditional Christmas dinner, but one thing they do not satisfy is your teeth. They are all laden with dried fruit, which is high in sugar. These kinds of foods stick to teeth and can cause the most damage, particularly if we’re gorging on them throughout Christmas Day and Boxing Day.

3.    Stick with your dental hygiene routine, even if you’re tired.

We all know the feeling. After a long Christmas day with maybe a few too many drinks, we don’t brush our teeth and instead just rinse with mouthwash, or worse do nothing at all. So, stop and remember that teeth are under attack for up to one hour after eating or drinking, and if you think about how much is consumed, and how often, particularly over Christmas and Boxing Day, your teeth don’t really get the chance to recover.

4.    Don’t let anyone use their teeth as scissors

Many of us have been there, it’s time for present wrapping, and there’s a crazy hunt for the closest pair of scissors which can’t be found because somebody else in the home has misplaced them. So, you use your teeth to bite the sellotape.

If you’re one of the people who has never done this, you might be shocked at how many people do!

Banging your teeth together hard to snap the sellotape can be damaging to both your teeth and gums and any restorations you may have had.

Some of these tips may seem very obvious yet each year we receive frantic calls requiring emergency appointments, so take the opportunity to protect your dental health this festive period.