While Christmas is about giving to those you love and hold dear to your heart, there is nothing wrong with giving to yourself as well. Whether that gift is a vacation, a new piece of furniture, or spa day, the holidays are a time to give thanks. Contrary to popular belief, this time of year is not only for thanking those around us who make our lives enjoyable but thanking our body and brain for all that they do for us. If that means nothing more than eating delicious desserts after Christmas dinner or trying every type of chocolate sent from a client, then so be it.
INDULGE, MUCH?
For many people, Christmas and New Year’s find us more lenient with our healthy everyday diet. People permit themselves to indulge around the holidays. (Why we can only satisfy our cravings once or twice a year is a whole other blog topic). With baked delicacies at every turn, the opportunity to indulge is practically never-ending. Cue talk of New Year’s resolutions! Let’s not go there yet…
ANNUAL COOKIE EXCHANGE
Going to town at your office’s annual cookie exchange is all good and dandy; mostly because you only go to town on all the home-baked goods once a year. Many people tend to overcompensate for being “good” the rest of the year by overindulging in the sugary sweets that present themselves at every Christmas party, like ever. To keep your teeth healthy this holiday season, make sure you indulge the right way.
CARAMEL CATASTROPHE
To avoid a chip in your tooth, stay away from rock-hard candies and treats such as peanut brittle. Lord knows we don’t want you to break a tooth from eating a treat! By saying no to chewy and sticky treats (aka anything with caramel), you are preventing any fillings from being pulled out. Plus, you won’t be putting your jaw through the wringer by forcing it to chew and chew (and chew) that caramel candy until you have transformed it from a solid to a liquid. Choose treats that will melt in your mouth and require less chomping.
KIBOSH THE NOSH
To put the kibosh on mindless noshing, try popping a piece of sugar-free gum into your mouth. Not only will it give you something to do besides consuming a tad too much of the good stuff, but it will also activate saliva production. Freshly made saliva (Yum! So appetizing!) helps to wash away leftover debris in your mouth from food and drink consumed. Think about it washing over your pearly whites and leaving them rinsed and moisturized. Not bad, right? Bonus time: saliva won’t dry out your mouth like many types of mouthwash. Let Mother Nature do her thing and take care of you.
CONTACT
Call Sugar Fix Dental Loft today to inquire about the best methods of protecting your teeth over the holidays while still treating yourself to goodies galore! Dr. Brittany Dickinson and her team at Sugar Fix Dental are ready and willing to fix any damage that might be done. Cavities? What cavities?