How to Care for Your Teeth During the Holiday Season

7 Holiday Tooth-Care Tips From Your Local Owings Mills Dentist

The holiday's bring lots of sweet treats that are good for your soul but not for your teeth. Here are 7 holiday tooth-care tips from an Owings Mills dentist.

It's the most wonderful time of the year—but maybe not for your teeth. With the holiday season, your teeth get exposed to a lot of sugar. Holiday eating can be bad for your teeth. 

When exposed to sugar from holiday eating, bacteria in your mouth produce acid, and this acid begins to eat away at your enamel leading to cavities. 



How can you protect your teeth this holiday season? Check out these dental tips from an Owings Mills dentist to keep you smiling after the holiday season.

1. Drink Plenty of Water

There are several benefits to drinking water, and the holidays are no exception as you are out and about more than ever. Water keeps you hydrated and is also good for your skin. 



Water also freshens your breath and can help aid your digestion. Water helps clear out the freshly formed bacteria and acid in your mouth that cause tooth problems and pain. So grab that glass of water, or take a water bottle out with you, as you run errands or drive to visit family.

2. Stick to a Dental Care Routine

During the holidays you need to stick to your tooth care routine no matter how busy you are. If you have an appointment with your dentist in Owings Mills MD, you need to keep that appointment. In addition, you need to brush and floss your teeth at least twice a day.

Brushing and flossing your teeth gets rid of sugar and plaque that build up in your mouth throughout the day. Chew some sugar-free gum to help remove food particles from your teeth. Try some cinnamon gum because the cinnamon aldehyde wakes up your salivary glands to hunt down the bacteria that form cavities.



It's vital that you don't skip brushing your teeth at night—no matter how tired you are!

3. Don’t Munch All Day

Holidays are notorious for food and holiday eating. Food is everywhere, from Thanksgiving leftovers to cookies to appetizer spreads. The stage is set for you to just eat a little all day.



However, this is not good for your teeth to have constant exposure to food. Try to not eat all day and opt for a drink of water instead.

4. Don't Open Things With Your Teeth

Teeth are good for chewing and talking, but as any dentist in Owings Mills will tell you—they are not great tools. Do not use your teeth to open packages, snack bags, bottles, or anything else.



This activity weakens your tooth enamel and the fragile edges of your tooth. You can break or crack your teeth pretty easily, so grab another tool for opening things instead of your teeth. 

5. Eat Cheese, Veggies, and Turkey

There are some good foods for you to eat during the holiday season. Veggies are extremely healthy for your teeth. They have a fibrous nature that makes you chew a lot and produce a great deal of saliva that scrubs your teeth. When you see a veggie tray, grab some carrots and broccoli because they have a lot of Vitamin A that helps restore your tooth enamel.

Turkey and cheese are actually good for your teeth. Cheese has a lot of calcium that is good for your teeth and bones, but also the pH balance of cheese helps restore the balance in your mouth when consuming alcohol.



Turkey has a lot of protein and phosphorous that helps strengthen your teeth. So, not all holiday food is bad!

6. Rinse With Water After Meals

If you can't brush your teeth or use mouthwash after eating high-sugar foods, try to rinse your mouth out with water. This can help restore the pH balance in your mouth. Eating carbohydrates and sugar makes your teeth more sensitive and also increases your risk of getting cavities, since your pH balance is off in your mouth.

Rinsing your mouth out with water helps remove some of the extra coatings, but if you can reach for the toothbrush and dental floss, that is even better to get the bacterial plaque off your teeth.



Don't brush your teeth right after you eat or drink wine. You should wait at least 30 minutes because your teeth are actually sensitive right after eating. Waiting a bit gives your teeth time to re-calcify.

7. Drink Clear Beverages

You try so hard to have a bright, white smile, but some of the darker beverages are really hard on your teeth. Red wine is notorious for staining teeth. Even though it may have some cancer-fighting antioxidants, it can turn your teeth a pale pink. The same is true with cranberry juice.

If you are worried about staining your teeth this holiday season, reach for the clear or light-colored drinks, which are still tasty. They won't leave residue behind with their strong pigments.

If you still want to have red wine, try brushing your teeth before a glass of wine. Why? Brushing your teeth ahead of time helps remove any food residue or plaque before you eat a meal or drink wine. This helps minimize the staining on your teeth.

After you have a glass of red wine, try the trick we mentioned above—rinse out your mouth. This means drinking a glass of water after you finish your wine, which helps keep you hydrated as well. 



You should also eat while you enjoy a glass of wine. Savory foods like cheese can help protect your teeth from the acids in red wine.

Visit Your Owings Mills Dentist

Be sure to take care of your teeth over the holidays. Try drinking a lot of water, watching what you eat, continuing your dental routine, and avoiding eating all day. 



Looking for an Owings Mills Dentist? Contact us today for a post-holiday cleaning or for any needs that arise during the holiday. We are here for you to help you keep smiling before, during, and after all the holiday fun!