If you find yourself traveling this holiday season, you will need to make sure you have all your dental necessities, including a toothbrush, toothpaste, floss, and mouthwash. Unfortunately, even with all these tools, you can still face a dental emergency if you’re not careful. Everything from sugary candies to your favorite hard-shelled nuts can send you rushing to a local dentist’s office in need of help. To prevent this from happening, your dentist shares 5 ways you can better protect your smile while staying at your grandma’s house.
Don’t Chew on Your Nails
Stress is synonymous with the holidays. As cheery and joyful as this time of year can be, you might find yourself gnawing on your perfectly painted nails if you don’t enjoy crowded malls or listening to your parents and their siblings argue over politics at the dinner table. Instead of ruining the investment you made in having your nails painted specifically for the holidays, reach for sugarless gum instead. Not only will it keep your nails looking beautiful, but it will also prevent wear and tear on your tooth enamel.
Avoid Grandma’s Hard Candy Bowl
You see it every year – the crystal bowl full of hard, tasty candies that are just begging to be eaten. In the past, you’ve never avoided it but this year, if you want to keep from cracking, breaking, or fracturing a tooth, you may want to pass. Although these sweet treats taste yummy, their sugar content can cause cavities and tooth decay to develop. Not to mention the potential damage you can cause to your teeth that can result in a trip to the dentist for a crown or root canal.
Don’t Open Packages with Your Teeth
Teeth should only tear through food, not packages or containers. You may find yourself struggling with a particular present come Christmas morning, but instead of bringing it to your mouth to try and open, simply ask for a pair of scissors to do the trick. Using your teeth as tools can wear down the enamel and even cause serious damage to your pearly whites. Avoid the possible risk and stick to the instruments that are made to do this kind of job.
Just Like Hard Candy, Avoid the Chewy Ones, Too
Maybe it’s not a hard candy bowl but a chewy candy one instead. Whether your grandma has numerous bowls of sugar sitting around the house waiting for eager hands to grab or not, it’s best if you act as if they’re not there. Sticky, chewy candies can sit on your teeth for extended periods of time, and when this happens, you open yourself to possible cavities as the bacteria begins to feed off the sugar and break down the enamel.
Let the Nutcracker Do Its Job
Those funny-looking wooden figures that sit around the house are called nutcrackers, and they have one specific job – to crack open hard-shelled nuts. If pecans and walnuts are your favorites, employ the use of this uniquely decorated man to open the hard shells. If you try to use your teeth, you might lose a tooth or crack it to the point that only restorative or cosmetic treatment can fix it. Avoid the dental visit and let the nutcracker do its job.
By keeping these 5 tips in mind, you’ll avoid a trip to the emergency dentist and instead spend valuable time with your friends and family.
About the Author
Dr. Tommy Murph achieved his bachelor’s degree in biology from Presbyterian College in Clinton, SC. After graduation, he went on to attend the Medical University of South Carolina, earning his Doctor of Dental Medicine. Since then, he has completed over 600 hours of continuing education courses, including state-of-the-art training in Trinon Dental Implants and orthodontics. Dr. Murph and his team at American Dental believe in providing the highest level of dental care possible, which includes everything from preventive to restorative to cosmetic dentistry and even emergency dental care. Offering tips and tricks to prevent these crises from occurring, his office guarantees same-day treatment should an urgent issue arise. Contact us at (843) 488-4357 to let us help you today.