Dental Considerations For The Festive Period

Dental Considerations For The Festive Period

Seasonal words of caution and ideas for the new year from your local Acton dentists.

There are still two weeks before Christmas officially starts, but many of us will be in full swing, organising food deliveries and buying presents for those around us, as well as organising parties perhaps. It can be a very busy time of the year and, unless we have a specific issue, such as a toothache, or if we have a check up appointment booked, seeing a dentist is probably the last thing on our minds.

However busy you are preparing for Christmas though, it is worth giving your oral health some thought for the period ahead. There are a number of potential pitfalls that could affect your teeth and gums, especially at this time of the year. We will take a look at those shortly, as well as offering some thoughts and suggestions for the start of the new year.

The festive period – potential oral health issues

Alcohol

There are a number of potential pitfalls for your teeth and oral health in general, and alcohol can play a significant part in this. Most of us will drink more than usual at this time of the year, and some of us may regret doing so!  One issue which regularly occurs with alcohol consumption is that it causes dehydration, and, in addition to any hangover that you might suffer, this almost inevitably means waking up with a dry mouth. This is the perfect environment for bacteria to increase and some of these will be the type that attack the gum tissue, often leading to gum disease.

As we know, this can be quite serious if it becomes too advanced, potentially leading to tooth loss. Make sure that you drink sensibly, ensuring that you drink plenty of water to avoid becoming dehydrated.

Alcohol can also have more immediate effects. Many accidents are caused through alcohol, and a blow to the face could result in a broken or knocked out tooth that requires emergency dental  care at the Acton Vale Dental Centre so make sure that you drink sensibly.

Oral care routine

Alcohol can also play a part in neglecting our regular teeth cleaning regime. Even without this though, starting early to prepare the Christmas dinner, opening presents with (over) excited children then having to entertain guests all day makes for a very tiring time. By the end of the day, it is likely that all that we can do is to crawl into bed and hope to sleep for a very long time. While this is understandable, it is very important that you do not skip your teeth cleaning regime, especially at night when you will almost certainly have eaten a lot of sweet and often sticky foods. Going to sleep with these stuck to your teeth is a recipe for tooth decay.

However tired you are, make a real effort to thoroughly brush and floss your teeth before you go to bed. The same applies to any children too and, depending on their age, it is a good idea to supervise them as they are also likely to be feeling very tired indeed and may only give their teeth the briefest of brushings.

Sugar intake

This one is probably more obvious. Most of us will eat far more foods that are high in sugar at this time of the year. While much of this can be relieved by brushing our teeth well, it is still a good idea to try to reduce this a little if we can. Alternating chocolates and the like with non or low sugar treats can make a big difference. One useful tip is that eating a small amount of cheese at the end of a meal is an excellent way of rebalancing the acidity in your mouth that can be harmful to tooth enamel.

Planning ahead for the new year

A smile makeover

Enough of the warnings and on to the possibilities that 2025 can bring. Many of us see the new year as a new start and what better way to start the new year than to give your smile a real boost with one of the many cosmetic dental treatments that our Acton dentists are pleased to offer. One of the most popular and fast acting of these is our Enlighten teeth whitening treatment. This is a fast acting treatment that can be carried out at home under the guidance of our experienced team. Within 7 – 10 days you will start to see a real difference in the whiteness of your teeth, with the full effects seen soon afterwards.

For those whose teeth are badly stained or perhaps have been chipped or cracked, porcelain dental veneers are also available, and, if you have crooked teeth that need straightening, our range of almost invisible orthodontics such as Invisalign, can help you have straighter teeth in a discreet, comfortable and convenient way.

If you would like more information about these treatments in the new year, we can arrange for you to have an initial consultation with one of our dentists who can explain and arrange a treatment plan should you wish to proceed.

Smoother skin

Finally, why settle for just having a whiter smile when you can have smoother and younger looking skin too. With our wrinkle reducing treatments and dermal fillers to give you fuller looking lips, you can transform yourself in the new year in the safe hands of our facial aesthetics team.

As this will probably be our last blog before the festivities start, please allow us to take the opportunity of wishing a very merry Christmas from all of us at the Acton Vale Dental Centre and we look forward to seeing you again in the new year. If you do need to contact us about a dental issue or to make appointments, please do so by calling us on 020 8749 3267.