The holiday season is a time for goodwill, reflection, love for humankind, and food! Lots and lots of food, to be exact; eating big meals, drinking sweet drinks, alcohol, and sweets. This means a number on your teeth, gums, and overall oral hygiene. Let’s take a look at some dentist-recommended tips and tricks to be sure you’re not doing any damage to your teeth this holiday season.

Double Up Your Brushing & Flossing

If you usually brush the recommended twice a day, you may want to go to three, if not four, times a day. Because we often eat more during the holidays, some of those are late-night snacks or big breakfasts; dentists recommend increasing the number of times you brush and floss a day. A good holiday oral hygiene day can look like this:

• Brush and rinse before coffee or breakfast as soon as you wake up.
• Follow up with a brushing and flossing after breakfast.
• After lunch, brush and floss again
• Use a mouth rinse after cocktails and appetizers
• Brush and after dinner
• Do a bedtime brush, floss, and rinse.

*Don’t forget to brush your tongue along the way, either*

If this seems excessive, it isn’t. The fact is that more people come to their dentist with newly formed cavities in the first month or two of the year than during any other time of the year. Dentists blame much of the sweet and acidic foods and drinks for this cavity production in many Americans. 

Consider Dental Hygiene Habits for 2023

The holidays make a great time to look back and reflect on the previous year and a great time to look forward. Many “new years resolutions” get thrown away or lose momentum after a few weeks, but maybe you want to improve your dental care this year. That will benefit many aspects of your life going forwards and isn’t like, “I’m going to go to the gym this year.” You brush and floss every day (hopefully!), so adding a little to that can be an easy resolution.

Here are some ideas to invest in your oral care for 2023:

• Invest in an electric toothbrush; many are on the market, and they are not expensive. They are better at brushing than manual toothbrushes.
• Invest in a home water pick. This is a great way to clean the gums and blast away plaque at home.
• See your dentist every three months instead of 2 times a year.
• Get Invisalign or Invisalign Go and start your teeth straightening journey today.
• Have a missing tooth or need a crown? Don’t push it off for another year. Talk to your dentist today and discuss your dental implant options or crown choices.
• Get better toothpaste. Have sensitive teeth now? Start using toothpaste for sensitive teeth.
• Do a home whitening kit or get professional whitening at your dentist.
• Start flossing for real!

Call Your Dentist and Schedule a Visit for the New Year

2023 is almost here. Start the new year by seeing the dentist, getting a cleaning and x-ray, and discussing your oral hygiene. Your dentist can spot things you can’t see or feel, so don’t miss the dentist this year, whatever you do. For the Best Coney Island Dental Practices, look no further than ConeyIslandDental.com and over 40 years of local expertise in Kings County, NY.