Christmas should be a time for rest and relaxation, but not where your oral hygiene is concerned. We thought we’d share our top tips for a happy and healthy Christmas for your teeth.

Avoid grazing

Food is EVERYWHERE at Christmas! This makes it difficult to keep snacks and treats to mealtimes, and constant grazing becomes the norm. This can mean a dental disaster.

By relentlessly exposing your teeth to sugary and acidic foods you’re placing them under constant attack and they don’t get a chance to repair themselves. This leaves you more susceptible to problems such as acid erosion and an accumulation of plaque, which can eventually lead to decay.

So, make sure you give your teeth some down time over the festive season. You can even help them out by chewing sugar-free gum, which will stimulate the production of saliva – your mouth’s natural defence against sugar and acid attacks.

Indulge your love of cheese

Cheese lovers rejoice! Although it may not be the best thing for your waistline, cheese may actually protect your teeth against cavities. So rather than opting for Christmas pudding or a slice of Christmas cake – choose cheese!

Cheese also increases saliva, which helps to neutralise acidity. So, if you do enjoy acidic treats like fizzy drinks or mulled wine, you can help your teeth by following them up with a slice of cheddar.

Brush before bed

Brushing your teeth might not be at the top of your to-do list, but it’s so important. We should all be brushing our teeth twice a day, but it’s the brush before bed that’s the most important. Sparing just a few minutes at the end of your day to brush (and also floss) your teeth will scrub away all the food that’s accumulated throughout the day.

Forgetting to do this occasionally probably won’t have any impact on your teeth, but if it becomes more of a regular occurrence, you may have problems. The bacteria in your mouth will feast on left over morsels of food, leading to a build-up of plaque. Plaque can normally be brushed away, but if left alone it will calcify and you’ll then need to visit the practice for a professional clean.