If you have dental implants, you may be wondering how to best take care of them during the holiday season. Fortunately, the task of caring for your teeth is much simpler than it might sound. In fact, your implants can be cleaned just as easily as your natural teeth. You may even need a few extra tools or tricks to make the job a little easier.
During the holiday season, it is easy to let dental health fall by the wayside. There is a lot of sugar, acid, and fat in popular holiday foods, which can cause cavities in your natural teeth and stain or degrade your dental implants. The best way to prevent these occurrences is to stick to your dental health regimen. Let’s take a closer look at how to make sure you keep your dental implants in good shape over the holidays.
Maintain Your Oral Hygiene
One of the best ways to keep your dental implants in tip-top shape is to brush them for at least two minutes each day. Brushing can break the craving for fatty foods and help to keep your teeth and gums healthy. Your implants also require regular checkups to ensure they are in good condition. You should not delay scheduling an appointment, as the busy holiday season can make it hard to find a convenient time to see your dentist.
Watch What You Eat
It is also important to know what foods to avoid during the holiday season. For one thing, you do not want to end up with a mouth full of popcorn kernels. Popcorn is not necessarily bad for your overall health, but it can cause damage to your dental restorations.
In addition to popcorn, you may want to stay away from hard candies. They can scratch and dent your dental restorations. Also, avoid spicy foods, as they can aggravate the area around your implants. Hard, crunchy foods such as crackers, nuts, or chips can also damage your dental hardware. Gnawing on the turkey bones should also be approached with caution! While for the most part, you can eat normally with dental implants, you want to avoid anything that could conceivably harm the restoration or aggravate the implant site.
Stay Hydrated!
The best way to maintain your dental implants is by following a healthy diet and scheduling regular dental visits. Hydration certainly forms part of a healthy diet! You may want to make it a habit to drink more water to ensure that you are properly hydrated.
Avoid Too Much Alcohol And Caffeine
We know that this is possibly a bit of a tall order over the holidays, but both alcohol and caffeinated beverages can cause staining on your teeth and your dental restorations. Red wine, black coffee, and black tea are particularly prone to causing discoloration, so if you can’t live without your morning caffeine, we suggest brushing afterward!
Treat Yourself To A New Toothbrush!
The holidays are a perfect excuse to treat yourself a bit. Try out a toothbrush specifically designed for dental restorations or tooth replacements! Be sure to avoid abrasive toothpaste as these can damage the surface of your restoration. Additionally, toothpaste containing fluoride or that is specifically designed for smokers should also be avoided.
How Can We Help?
The best way to know how to take care of your dental implants over the holiday season is to chat with us at Elite Dental of Staten Island. We can provide expert advice on maintaining your dental restorations to ensure that they last as long as possible.
For more information about caring for your dental implants, call Elite Dental of Staten Island today to schedule a consultation. One of our tip-top team members will provide you with the information you need to keep your smile looking its best.
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To schedule a consultation, please call (718) 370-1200 or use our online contact form.