It’s December, which means the holiday season is officially here. With it comes quality time at family gatherings and plenty of delicious food. Of course, for people with traditional braces, holiday meals pose a certain risk depending on the types of food being served. Fortunately, your dentist has three quick tips to keep your braces in good condition and avoid orthodontic injuries this holiday season.
1. Be Careful When Eating Anything with Bones
At holiday meals, many people enjoy eating the wings and drumsticks of turkey directly off the bone. For people with traditional braces, this unfortunately means that one wrong bite and your bracket or wire could become dislodged. However, you don’t have to completely avoid these items. Instead, take careful bites and chew slowly at first. This way, if you accidentally bite down on a bone, there is a significantly lower chance of it damaging your braces.
2. Wear a Mouthguard
For many families, it’s tradition to go outside after opening presents or eating a meal and toss the old pigskin around in the backyard. While this can be fun, it can also be dangerous if your pearly whites remain unprotected during this activity. Your dentist can create a special mouthguard that’s designed to fit comfortably over your braces, allowing your teeth to be safely protected while playing any kind of contact sport. If you don’t have one already, ask your dentist to provide one before the holidays.
3. Don’t Forget to Rinse
The holiday season is rife with opportunities for tooth decay to thrive. This is because most people end up binging on holiday sweet treats and forgo brushing and flossing afterwards. This allows the sugar in the sweets you just ate to linger on your teeth, attracting bacteria that erode your tooth enamel and produce cavities. Whether you have braces or not, it’s important to prevent tooth decay as best you can, especially over the holiday season. Because braces can easily trap food particles in the brackets and wires, it’s especially crucial that people with braces rinse their mouth out with water or mouthwash after eating.
No matter how you’re spending this holiday season, you can follow these steps to prevent orthodontic injuries. That way a dental emergency won’t spoil the holiday cheer, and your teeth will stay happy and healthy.
About the Author
Dr. Dalia Georgy has been offering dental and orthodontic services in Glenpool, OK for seven years and counting. She earned her dental degree from the University of Oklahoma and has also undergone extensive specialty training in braces. To learn more about how to take care of your braces this holiday season, don’t be afraid to contact Dr. Georgy’s practice by clicking here.