We’re officially in the holiday season, which means plenty of holiday sweets and big meals on the horizon. We want you and your family to have a great time, but we also want to help you avoid tooth decay in 2025. In today’s blog, your Brighton, MA, dentist explains how to reduce your risk of tooth decay during the holiday season!
How Sugar and Starch Cause Cavities
When we eat a lot of foods with sugar and starch, and consume beverages with a high sugar content, this leaves behind particles of sugar and starch for harmful oral bacteria to consume. When this happens, oral acidity rises and the teeth become coated in a sticky layer of plaque. The buildup then hardens into tartar and cannot be removed with brushing and flossing alone. Plaque and tartar can weaken enamel to make cavities more likely, and could irritate gums to create periodontal disease. You could also be more susceptible to teeth stains and bad breath.
Which is why we suggest eating sugary and starch-heavy foods in moderation, and adding fresh fruits and veggies to your plate to balance them. Drink water with your meal to rinses away these particles, and also excuse yourself after the meal to floss and remove trapped particles.
See Us For a Checkup
There is still time to see us before we’re out for the holidays, so schedule a checkup now. We can clean your teeth to remove any plaque and tartar, and if we find issues like cavities, we can offer a filling to protect your smile. Seeing us now also means a chance to use your 2024 dental insurance benefits before they expire at the end of the year. You can also put any remaining health savings account funds to use before they’re gone too!
Protecting Teeth at Home
You can take steps at home to safeguard your smile. For example, you can brush when you wake up with a soft-bristled toothbrush and a fluoride toothpaste, and then do so again before bed. Each session should take two minutes. You also need to floss every evening before you brush that second time to remove what a toothbrush alone cannot. If you have any questions about how we protect your smile with a checkup and cleaning, or if you want to practice better oral hygiene at home, then contact our team today to learn more. Let’s start 2025 with a better smile!
Talk to Brighton Family Dental About Avoiding Cavities
Our team is ready to help you enjoy a healthy and beautiful smile during the holidays and beyond. Learn more about protecting your smile from tooth decay by calling us at Brighton Family Dental Group in Brighton, MA, today at (617) 562-5210.
