Your Dentist Knows How to Avoid Emergency this Holiday Season

The holidays are a time of fun and excitement, but unfortunately the cheer and joy can sometimes get cut short by dental emergencies. Whether you’re traveling, with friends, family, or at parties, this time of the year presents a lot of opportunities for dental disaster. Thankfully, there are some easy tips that you can use to keep your teeth safe for the holidays from a trusted emergency dentist.

Tip #1: Be Picky if It’s Sticky

Foods like caramel and taffy increase your chance of getting cavities because they allow sugar to cling to your teeth and eat away at your enamel. Sticky items can also dislodge a filling or crown, so be especially careful of these around the holiday season.

Tip #2: Let the Nutcrackers Do the Cracking

Nuts are a great source of protein and fiber, but their shells can cause painful cracks and chips in your teeth. That’s why you should let the nutcrackers do the cracking, or just buy pre-shelled nuts. Your teeth will thank you, and you can still eat your favorite snack.

Tip #3: Don’t Use Your Teeth as Tools

During the holidays, people often get anxious and turn to their teeth to help them out with opening things like packages and bottles. Using your teeth as tools can lead to chips, cracks, pain, and aching, so your best bet is to use scissors or bottle openers for what they’re designed for. Save your teeth for their important job of chewing all of the delicious food around this time of year.

Tip #4: Avoid Chewing on Hard Candy and Ice

Hard candy and ice cubes can crack your teeth, causing a painful surprise for the holidays. Additionally, sucking on hard candy can cause cavities because the sugar gets in your saliva in coats all of your teeth. So, try to avoid sugary hard candies in general. You should also wait for your ice cubes to melt instead of chewing them to decrease your risk of having a dental emergency.

Tip #5: Cut Down on Holiday Stress

The holidays can be stressful, which can lead to numerous bad habits like nail biting. Biting your nails is not only a nasty habit, but it can actually damage your teeth. Try to avoid nail biting by minimizing stress or even painting bad tasting polish to your nails. This will keep your teeth safe during the holidays.

Are you ready to celebrate the holidays safely? Now you can with some helpful tips from your dentist on how to protect your teeth from dental disaster.

Meet the Dentist

Dr. J. Peter St. Clair takes pride in providing quality dentistry to all of his patients. He believes in patient education, which is why he wants you to know some simple tips on how to keep your teeth safe. He currently runs his own practice, and he can be contacted through his website or by phone at (978) 948-2030 for any questions.