Merry Xmas From Our Tunbridge Wells Dentists

Seasonal advice on looking after your teeth.

Christmas is coming and it probably won’t only be the goose that puts on a few extra pounds at this time of the year! Whilst we might overindulge a little over the holidays, possibly adding to our weight; for most of us, things will soon return to normal once we get back to our regular routine.

The same, unfortunately, can’t be said of any negative effects on our teeth, caused by our seasonal indulgence. In today’s Calverley Dental Practice blog, we offer some simple advice to help our patients take good care of their teeth and gums this Christmas.

Keep brushing your teeth – Most of us manage to take a short holiday at Christmas. You should not apply this to your dental care though! A lot of sugar is likely to be consumed, in one form or another, and you should make sure to clean your teeth regularly to reduce the risk of damage from this. Do try to floss too, to get rid of those sticky foods that lodge between the teeth.

Beware of excess alcohol – Most of us will probably drink at Christmas; even those who rarely drink the rest of the year may be tempted by a tipple or two. Especially if you aren’t used to it, continual ‘top ups’ of drink can accumulate, leaving us less than steady on our feet. Many falls and accidents are attributed to alcohol and ‘one too many’ at Christmas time could result in broken or lost teeth if you fall heavily.

Drink water – In addition to the effects above, alcohol often leads to a dry mouth. This provides an environment that potentially harmful bacteria can thrive in. Drinking water throughout the day, will both help to keep you hydrated, and also reduce the effects of the alcohol.

Don’t show off – Well, OK, perhaps a little if you want to impress the kids with your magic tricks etc. The type of ‘showing off’ we are referring to are those foolish acts that result in harm. Opening a beer bottle or trying to crack open a Brazil nut (or any other for that matter) is very dangerous and you may require treatment for a broken tooth, or even for facial injuries if the glass breaks. Don’t do it!

Our practice will be closed for some of the holidays and we hope that you don’t need to receive any emergency dental attention. If you do, please call our usual phone number, 01892 543 898 and, should we be closed, please listen to the message on our answerphone for details of what to do next.

We wish all of our Tunbridge Wells patients a very merry Christmas and a happy New Year from all of the team at the Calverley Dental Practice, and look forward to seeing you in 2018.