Tips for a healthy holiday month

The holidays are a time of food, friendship, fun, and gifts. With all this excitement good oral care can be tough.

We are bombarded with sugary sweets, savoury drinks, and so much to do that normal routines can go by the wayside. If the holidays are filled with chocolate, sweets, sugary foods, and sweet drinks it isn’t so great for our teeth.

Even happy traditions like advent calendars can threaten our dental health.

So, at DentArana we’ve come up with 4 great tactics to make a mouth-healthy advent calendar as well as 8 bonus tips to make your holiday seasons a healthy and happy one for you, your loved ones, and their teeth! Together we can make this holiday festive, fun, and full of healthy smiles!

4 Tactics for a Mouth-healthy Advent Calendar

1. Holiday Activity Fun – For each day come up with a holiday activity that you can do together as a family. Write the activity on a slip of paper and tuck one slip into each day of your advent calendar.
2. Story-A-Day – Nothing beats a good story. Pick out a holiday-themed book for every day of your countdown. Have your child open a new book each night at bedtime and read it together
3. A Goodie-A-Day – Find some simple goodies to fill each day on your calendar instead of candy. The dollar store has all kinds of inexpensive and colourful trinkets.
4. A Puzzling Treat – Draw a picture or write a personal message on a blank puzzle. Break the puzzle apart and place one piece in each day of your advent calendar.

8 Tips For A Happy, Healthy Holiday

1. Give the gift of electricity. Consider a nice electric toothbrush in this year’s stocking or under the tree. Electric toothbrushes rotate 3,000 to 7,500 times per minute and can remove hard to get to plaque. In some cases, you can also pair up the electric toothbrush with apps that play two minutes of music, track your habits, and offer oral care tips!
2. Don’t forget your dentist! The holidays can be a busy time, but that doesn’t mean you can forget about your teeth. If you are due for a teeth cleaning or need work done, don’t forget to visit your DentArana dentist in December.
3. Make the holiday meaningful. Our holiday events often focus on food, but this focus is not good for your teeth or your waistline. To take the focus off of food, set up activities like board and card games, craft projects or holiday movie marathons.
4. Pay mind to sugar. In many families, the holidays are filled with rich dinners and sweet desserts. Stockings are stuffed with candies, bubble gum, and other sugary treats. This is why it’s important that you keep in mind how many sugary foods you consume during your holidays and that you brush and floss after eating them. By paying attention to how much sugar you eat this holiday, your teeth will be healthier and you won’t have to work as hard in the gym after the New Year.
5. Practice Moderation. Try to maintain a balance, especially on your plate. Christmas treats are great, but don’t forget to include foods that will help absorb all of that sugar. Fill your plate with healthy veggies and some protein, then sit down with family and friends to enjoy the Christmas season!
6. Keep Busy. Christmas is traditionally a break for children and adults from school and work commitments. While this is a great time to relax, too much down time can mean overindulging in sweets. Engage family members and friends in games or toys received during the Christmas holiday. Sugarfree chewing gum can help keep mouths busy while hands are playing1
7. Have a routine. Santa’s elves always brush their teeth two times a day, for two minutes, and so should you! Good oral hygiene habits keep your mouth healthy through the holidays and all year long.
8. Cigarettes and alcohol. Even non smokers have been known to have a cigar or two at Christmas time and alcohol consumption generally rises. Both of these increase the risk of gum disease through causing a dry mouth which in turn means that bacteria are not flushed away with saliva as they usually are. Ensuring that you don’t drink or smoke to excess is obviously the best route to take for healthy teeth and gums.

And if you have any dental issues or concerns, call us at DentArana immediately. We are here to help you enjoy your holiday season and keep that smile on your face all year round!

DentArana – Your Local Dentist In Arana Hills 

DentArana provides family dentistry in Arana Hills. Our goal is to make quality dental care affordable, and help you achieve maximum oral and overall health!

Follow the tips and enjoy your holidays filled with bright and healthy smiles! DentArana is your partner in oral health.

Our Promotions

FREE Consultation

Dental Implants, Cosmetic Dentistry, Smile Make-over, Orthodontics and Anti-wrinkle Injections.

New Patients Specials

Pay No Gap : NO GAP for Exam, Clean and Scale (with any health insurance) for under 17
No gap Mouthguards or $99 if no health fund.

No Health Insurance : Only $99 for Exam, Clean and Scale (under 17’s)

Call us at (07) 3351 3366 or request your appointment online today!