Keep Your Teeth Shining During The Festivities

One cannot stay away from sweets during this time of the year and festival time is also snacking & munching time. With all of this, oral health takes a back seat.

Dr Heman Verma Founder and Specialist from Dental Stylers, suggests ways to get better prepared for the festivities:

1. Snack Right

The celebrations around may make snacking and sweet munching inevitable! Try to restrict sweets or desserts during meal times. The most harmful sinners are in-between munchies because the sugar is stagnant in the mouth for a prolonged period allowing pH drop and active bacterial decay.

2. Hydrate Enough

Ever noticed the amount of dehydration you feel after all the alcohol and mindless eating. “Make water your best friend and keep sipping water at short intervals to neutralize the acids in your mouth. I actually recommend diluting your drinks with just water instead of your sugar-laden fizzy sodas,’’ says Dr Heman Verma.

3. Post Alcohol Care

Most alcoholic beverages, especially wine and beer, are acidic and prolonged exposure makes your teeth porous. Wait for at least an hour before brushing your teeth and use the only extra soft toothbrush with gentle pressure.

4. Fill Cavity

If you have a cavity in your tooth, get it filled before any kind of festivities as with too much munching, the impacted tooth may create sudden pain.

5. Go Sugar-Free

You may chew upon Sugar-free gums after eating sweets as it helps in cleaning the mouth and increase saliva flow. Increased saliva flow increases our ability to fight bacteria and avoid cavities.

Toothaches

Toothaches occurrences increase after the festival and wedding season due to eating lot of sweets and untimely snacking. If you are suffering from sudden toothache, then rinse your mouth with warm water. Use dental floss to remove any lodged food, as sometimes this can lead to toothache as well. To cure a toothache, apply a cold compress to the outside of your mouth. Never put aspirin or painkiller against the gums as it may burn the gum tissue, suggests the doctor.

If Hard Particles Get Stuck between Teeth

First, try using dental floss to remove the stuff. Never use a pin or other sharp object to poke the stuck food particle. These instruments can cut your gums or scratch your tooth surface.

Must Do

• Brush twice daily using proper brushing techniques and floss at least once a day
• Avoid having sweets before you go to bed as bacteria will cling to your teeth throughout the night and begin the process of decay.
• Rinse your mouth thoroughly after every sweet or acidic drink to dilute the sugars.

This column by Dental Stylers was first published in the print version of SUBURB October 2019 issue.