It’s the end of the year and the season for holiday parties and family gatherings! It’s the perfect time to catch up with old friends, meet up with family, and spend time with your loved ones. Unfortunately, this season of get-togethers is the worst time of year for your oral health. Crazy schedules, constant snacking, sugary treats everywhere, and even wrapping paper are all bad news for your dental well-being and can sometimes even cause a dental emergency. So how can you keep your teeth happy and healthy while still enjoying all the festivities? The best way is to see your dentist before all the parties to prevent problems before they start. After that, you can follow these tips from your Brampton dentist to protect your dental health while you enjoy gatherings all season long!
The Naughty and Nice List of Holiday Foods
It’s no surprise that you won’t find any sugary foods on a dentist’s nice list. However, some holiday foods are more important to stay away from than others, like:
- Sticky treats like caramels and fruit cakes can stick to and damage your fillings and crowns.
- Hard foods like candy canes might damage your teeth as you chew on them.
- Sugary drinks like hot chocolate and eggnog that coat your teeth with sugar.
Instead, try smile-friendly snacks, like carrots, celery or other fibrous veggies that help clear out leftover food particles. Calcium- and protein-rich foods can build up and strengthen your enamel and support oral health.
Party Tricks for Healthier Teeth
For many of us, the holidays wouldn’t be the same without a sugar cookie or other traditional holiday treat. However, the longer sugar stays on your teeth the more damage it can do. To keep sugars from lingering:
- Keep a toothbrush with you for a quick, convenient clean whenever you get a chance.
- Eat treats with food, not after so less sugary foods can help scrub your teeth.
- Stay hydrated to keep your enamel strong and wash away leftover food particles.
Seasonal Safety Tips for Oral Health
When maintaining your dental wellbeing at holiday parties, food isn’t the only thing to look out for. You might be excited to unwrap your presents or open that bottle of wine, but your teeth aren’t all-purpose tools. Using your teeth on ribbons, plastics, and bottles caps can all seriously damage your teeth under the right circumstances, so slow down and use your scissors.
While exciting, the holidays can also be a stressful time of year for many of us. Sometimes this stress will cause bruxism, or the grinding and clenching of your teeth at night. The nightly extra pressure can wear down your enamel and even crack your teeth, so take a moment to unwind or use a night guard.
This might be the toughest season for your oral wellbeing, but you can follow these easy tips to maintain great dental health while enjoying all the holiday parties and get togethers!
About the Author
Dr. Vince Fava is a preventive, restorative, and cosmetic dentist based in Brampton, ON. He obtained his Doctorate of Dental Surgery from the University of Toronto and is a member of several associations, including the Royal College of Dental Surgeons of Ontario. His practice focuses on providing people with beautiful, healthy smiles all year long, even during the holidays. If you’d like to know more about the article you just read, he can be reached at his website or at (905)792-7163.
Simrit has been working at Torbram Dental since 2001. She started her career with Assisting/Treatment co-ordinating and then moved on to becoming the Hygiene Co Ordinator in 2005. In 2012 she took on a new role as the Marketing Director. Though she loved being the Marketing Director, in 2015 she became the Office Manager of Torbram Dental. She completed her Level 1 Dental Assisting program with Career Canada in 1996 and then went on to complete her Level II Dental Assisting Diploma with Southwestern Medix in 1999. That is when she received NDAEB Certification. Simrit has been and still is an active member of the Ontario Dental Assistants Association since 2000. She enjoys hiking and traveling with her husband and two kids and loves to explore new restaurants, especially high-tea venues.
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Jessica, one of our receptionists, is one of the smiling faces you see when you arrive at the office. She graduated with honours from Medix College with a diploma as a Level 2 Dental Assistant. When she is not happily helping our patients, Jessica enjoys spending quality time with her friends and family, going to church on Sunday mornings, gardening and going on hikes.
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Naudia has been working at Torbram Dental for many years and is a valued member of our administrative team: as a dental receptionist and in our marketing team . She graduated from Everest College with honours level 1 and 2, with a diploma in Dental Assisting. Naudia is always there for our patients, making sure that they receive the care and attention they deserve. When not at the office, she enjoys spending time with family and friends, cooking and indulging in civil court TV shows.
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Ramandeep has been a part of Torbram Dental for the past 10 years as certified dental assistant. She obtained her level 1 certification from Everest college in Brampton in 2013, and then her level 2 certification in 2014 from Medix college. Her career path through the clinic has been recognized by staff at all levels who admire her work ethic and dedication to million dollar smiles. In her spare time, Ramandeep enjoys cooking and gardening, and spending time with her husband and 2 kids.
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Sana is a valued member of our dental hygiene team. In 2008 she completed her education at George Brown in Dental Assisting and in 2016 she earned her diploma in Dental Hygiene from the Canadian Academy of Dental Health and Sciences. Sana has been working in dentistry since 2008 and enjoys taking care of our patients and helping them with their oral health. She is married and is busy with her 2 young children. In her spare time, Sana enjoys going out with the family, trying out new places to eat and is looking forward to travelling with them in the future.
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Sanaria has been working at Torbram Dental for many years as a valued member of our Dental Assisting Team. She completed her level 2 dental assisting certification and previously obtained a degree in Education and worked as a quality control officer in the pharmaceutical industry. When not at work Sanaria loves to bake and cook. She also loves story time and enjoying the outdoors with her children. She always sees the positive side of life, believes that nothing is impossible and that if you set a goal and work at it, that you will make your dreams come true.
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Carrie has been working at Torbram Dental since 2001. She graduated from George Brown College in 1998 with a Dental Assistant Diploma and continued to further her education by completing a Dental Hygiene Diploma in 2001 at Durham College. Carrie is a highly trained and experienced Registered Dental Hygienist who continues to learn and grow by updating her knowledge to provide her clients with the best Oral Health Care techniques and information. Carrie is passionate about Dentistry and is known for her gentle and compassionate manner. She feels strongly about building lasting relationships and trust with her clients to help them understand that good Oral Health leads to good Overall Health. Carrie enjoys travelling, dabbling in decorating and a good Netflix series in her time off. Carrie resides in Halton Hills with her husband and two children.
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Daniela's interest in Dentistry began in Gr.6 when she wrote a speech entitled "My Life as a Toothbrush".
A Registered Dental Hygienist with 22 years of clinical experience, Daniela still has a great passion for her career. The most rewarding aspect for her is building lasting relationships with her patients, and seeing them through to a healthier smile.
Her thorough yet gentle touch will ensure a comfortable visit every time.
Daniela is a total Foodie and loves to cook and enjoys all types of cuisines. She loves Florida, Cruises, organizing things, and most of all spending time with family and friends.
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Stephanie Enjoys getting to know all new patients at Torbram Dental and catching up with long standing Patients. Stephanie enjoys spending quality time with her family. One of her favorite things to do with her daughter is teach and play the piano. Stephanie likes going on walks with her husband and enjoys spending as much time with him as he is an Active Member of the Canadian Army. On Sundays, Stephanie enjoys going to Church and looks forward to Sunday Dinner with her entire family. Stephanie's Favorite thing to do to start her day right is head to her local Starbucks and Grab her favorite drink, an iced black tea with light lemonade on warm days and a blonde vanilla latte on those cold winter days.
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