It’s time to take a break and indulge ourselves in Christmas cakes and eggnog, but we mustn’t forget to brush our teeth

The season is here once again, where most of us can relax and enjoy time eating and drinking with family and friends. But we must not forget about some of our responsibilities. You must take care of your oral health. After all, it’s your oral health that lets you enjoy all those delicious Christmas treats and drinks, right? So, take the time and take care of your teeth and gums over the festive season. We have compiled together foods and drinks that we recommend you try to avoid, while also providing some tips for awesome Christmas ideas!

Foods and drinks that you should try and avoid:

Sparkling wine:

These wines are acidic and carbonated, which is terrible for your teeth and gums. Sparkling wine is so bad for your oral health, it even has a condition named after it. Prosecco teeth, which is the condition where your teeth begin pulling away from your gums. You don’t want that, do you?

Lollies and sweet treats:

We recommend staying away or having very few lollies and sweet treats, as they are generally high in sugar. Lollies designed for savouring and sucking on, are especially bad as they only prolong acid attacks for a longer period of time. Why not just indulge in a plate of Christmas pudding instead of grazing on sweets, the pudding is tastier and better!

Alcohol:

We’re not saying don’t drink alcohol, we just want you to be sensible with it and look after your teeth and gums. Maybe avoid the worst alcohol for your teeth. These include:
  • Cider (high sugar content and acidity)
  • Vodka cranberry (cranberry is a fruit that contains excessive amounts of sugar levels)
  • Whiskey/rum and coke (sodas are bad for your teeth as they contain acids and high sugar contents usually)
These are only examples of what you should try to avoid as much as possible over Christmas. We don’t want to stop you from enjoying your favourite foods and drinks, we only ask that you take care of what we’re passionate about.

Simple ways to keep your teeth and gums clean:

  • Remember to brush twice a day (preferably with a fluoride toothpaste)
  • Floss daily to remove food debris
  • Use a mouthwash daily
  • Rinse your mouth after sugary and acidic foods and drinks

Fun alternative ideas for Christmas:

All kids love advent calendars, right? Are yours usually filled with chocolate? Does your child love toys?

If your answer is yes to all three questions, why not give your child an advent calendar filled with toys or arty things instead, some ideas include: Cheap toys – such as packets of matchbox cars for them to zoom around all day!
  • Stories – you could read a new children’s story each day together!
  • Small trinkets – children find new things exciting, even if the excitement lasts one day or even an hour, it lasted longer than that one-minute chocolate did!

Why not look up healthier, creative and fun ideas for the Christmas table?

You can create snowmen, Christmas trees, houses or anything you want out of fruits and vegetables, not only will they taste good, but they will look fancy. Some healthy ideas for the table include:
  • Creative looking salads
  • Healthy gingerbread cookies
  • Sugar-free red velvet cake! (Who could say no, right?)
  • Maple roasted vegetables
  • Broccoli quinoa cottage cheese casseroles, anyone?
  • Marinated mushrooms
  • Roasted carrots
  • Grilled salmon… Yum!
  • Lemon herb roasted potatoes
  • Energy flavour balls
  • Maple syrup (healthier than sugar, plus has nutrients)
  • Roasted lamb
  • Spinach balls
This is only a short list of ways you can avoid high-sugar contents and avoid adding extra sugars for tastes. Be creative and get online and search up fun healthier alternatives for the Christmas, whether it’s activities or foods for table! Our friendly dentists at G Dental Melbourne are passionate about keeping your teeth and gums healthy. We offer a range of dental treatments from general check-ups and cleans to more involved treatments. For more information or to book an appointment at G Dental Melbourne, please click here.