Five secrets on how to take care of your teeth this Christmas

Christmas is here, and the overindulgence that comes with it may result in not starting the new year with your best smile. 

How to take care of your oral health during Christmas?

1. Do you like nougat? Choose hard nougat.

For your teeth, and your health in general, hard nougat is better than soft nougat, as it contains less sugar. Mind you, be careful when you bite it. You can also choose dark chocolate (70%), which has antioxidant and cardioprotective properties, as well as being delicious.

2. Avoid sudden temperature changes inside your mouth

During Christmas, it is common to combine cold and hot courses. Sudden changes in temperature increase tooth sensitivity, and can even break a tooth. ¿Why this happens?

The dental pulp contains blood vessels. Sudden changes in temperature can lead to inflammation of these blood vessels, causing pain.

3. Eat superfoods for your mouth.

Crunchy foods: carrots, apples and cucumbers act as cleansers, stopping plaque build-up.

Cheese helps to lessen the acidic pH inside the mouth. It is enough with a small portion of cheese at the end of a meal. It also contains calcium, which helps to protect the surface of the teeth.

Spinachs and leafy greens contain plenty of fibre, which is excellent for the teeth. This is so because as you chew them, you release plenty of saliva, cleaning the teeth whilst neutralizing acids in your mouth.

Water. Indeed, simply drinking water cleans your teeth, removes acids and maintains the pH inside the mouth. Water also contains fluorine.

4. Your teeth do not like too much alcohol.

Watch the colour of what you drink. Chromogens, such as wine, coffee and sugary drinks, adhere to the enamel and stain it.

In addition, alcoholic drinks dry out the mouth. Saliva maintains teeth humid, and helps to remove plaque and bacteria from the surface of the teeth.

5. Brush your teeth at least at bedtime. 

If you cannot brush your teeth during the day, do it at least before going to bed. The decrease in salivary flux when we sleep leads to changes in pH, increasing the risk of oral health problems. 

The Guido Audisio Clínica Dental team, wants the best for your mouth and of course, to wish you a Merry Christmas.