The holidays are upon us, and with these festivities come the feasts! You might find yourself eating more sweets than you usually do — or changing your healthy dental habits to adapt to multiple celebrations. However, even changes that only last through the holiday season are enough to do damage to your pearly whites. It’s important to take some steps to help protect your smile and ensure a healthy holiday season.
What can happen to my teeth during the holidays?
Your teeth’s number one enemy is sugar, and the holidays are a time when desserts play center stage. Buckets of Halloween candy are just the start to a season that prides itself on pies of all flavors, candy canes, and homemade cookies, cakes, fudges, and other desserts crafted specially for family gatherings. Those sweets are central in holiday traditions and memories, but you don’t want those memories tarnished by an emergency trip to the dentist during this time.
Bacteria that already live in our mouth naturally devour the sugar we eat, leaving acid behind. This acid is responsible for eroding our enamel and leading to tooth decay, cavities, and worse. Since we typically eat even more sugar than normal during the holiday season, we can really wreak havoc on the health of our teeth — not to mention rack up extra sensitivity.
Beyond the damage that sugar can do to our smile, there are a number of treats that can cause extra harm. In a worst-case scenario, highly sticky candies like taffy can yank out fillings. Hard desserts like peanut brittle can damage existing dental work or even crack or break natural teeth. Before you take a bite, ask yourself: is this item worth the risk of having to schedule an emergency appointment with the dentist? Plan accordingly!
How can I ensure healthy holiday habits for my teeth?
Don’t treat your teeth like tools. Avoid using them to open packaging, remove tags, and other similar situations. Even seemingly innocuous tasks could damage dental work — or even your natural teeth. Likewise, leave cracking nutshells to nutcrackers. You could land in an emergency dental appointment in the middle of holiday festivities, making this year certainly memorable — but not in a good way.
Whenever possible, try to brush your teeth after eating meals — particularly when those meals entail delicious desserts. Pack a travel toothbrush, floss, and travel-sized tube of toothpaste in your purse or travel bag to use between meals. There are also a number of single-use, disposable teeth-cleaning options available on the market for just these kinds of situations. That way, you can have the tools you need on hand to clean your teeth without the extra worry of transporting your toothbrush and toothpaste everywhere you go.
No matter how much you might try to be prepared for anything, a holiday meal — or treat — might just catch you unaware. If you’re caught without your teeth-cleaning tools, even rinsing with plain water is better than nothing. Doing so after meals and snacks can help neutralize the acids that the sugar-eating bacteria leave on your teeth.
In the end, it’s important to remember that you don’t have to completely restrict yourself from the treats that make the holiday fun. Everything in moderation — and rinse with water afterward.
What are some healthy holiday activities that won’t hurt my teeth?
When it comes to delicious holiday feasts, prioritize the treats that mean the most to you. For example, indulge when it comes to a meaningful dessert recipe handed down from generation to generation, but skip the soda. Trade sugary, carbonated beverages with water — especially since they’re not the stars of the show when it comes to sweets.
Also, try not to snack throughout the day. The buildup of debris in and around your teeth coupled with the accumulation of sugar and acid can harm your teeth. Strive to eat once — even with desserts — and then brush or rinse your mouth.
Think about what kinds of desserts could be good alternatives to the traditional, rich, sugary treats normally found at holiday celebrations. There are plenty of delicious low-sugar options in cookies, brownies, and bars. You can also cook these recipes in a way to ward off overly crunchy treats that might cause tooth breakages. There are even healthy options, like yogurt parfaits, fruit-based desserts, and more. Think about where you could replace syrups and whipped creams with fresh fruit toppings, like on cheesecakes and pancakes. With all the sweetener alternatives available nowadays, you don’t have to trade taste for health.
Above all, make sure you continue to brush and floss your teeth twice a day — even if you’re traveling out of town for the holidays or attending multiple gatherings. Don’t miss out on your healthy dental hygiene habits just because it’s the holidays!
If you have questions about your dental health or would like to schedule an appointment, call us today at Lifetime Dental Health at (614) 333-9442.
You might have heard the term CEREC crowns from someone who has just been to the dentist — or even from your own dentist — without knowing what the name might mean. CEREC stands for Chairside Economical Restoration of Esthetic Ceramics, and this innovative approach to crowns is revolutionizing dentistry. The next time you need a crown from your dentist, CEREC is likely to be a convenient and effective solution.
Why are CEREC crowns beneficial?
CEREC crowns are extremely beneficial for a number of reasons. Chief among them is the ease in which the crown can be made. In a single visit to the dentist’s office, you can have a CEREC crown completed. Skip the wait and bother of a traditional crown with one simple trip to the dentist.
CEREC crowns are just as durable as traditional crowns — with the added benefit of looking much more natural than a metal crown. Your smile will still look like you with a CEREC crown, and you can go back to your regular routine as soon as you leave the dentist’s office with your new CEREC crown.
CEREC crowns are also cost-effective. They’re a convenient and affordable option, saving you time and money on appointment costs and scheduling, and time away from work.
What are the pros of CEREC crowns?
One of the biggest reasons why CEREC crowns are a great choice is the convenience. Traditional dental crowns are a much more involved process — a process that could take weeks to complete. This process includes taking a putty mold of your teeth, sending the impression away for a lab to make a crown, and leaving you with a resin temporary crown in the meantime. The resin crown might not be a perfect fit, leaving you with discomfort. Plus, you might have to forego certain food items that you normally enjoy eating because of the risk of the temporary crown falling off. When your new crown is ready, you might still run the risk of it not fitting perfectly — necessitating additional delays.
With CEREC crowns, the fit is always perfect because of the special, highly advanced process and technology that we use. The process also takes just a single visit. You’ll receive your permanent CEREC crown on the same day of your visit — perfect for people on the go who need dental solutions fast. In the course of a morning or afternoon, you’ll be on your way with your brand new CEREC crown — and no one will be able to tell the difference in your smile.
Once the machine is finished making the CEREC crown, the dentist will use glue to adhere it to your tooth.
What can I expect when receiving CEREC crowns?
CEREC crowns have “chairside” in the name because of how fast and efficient the crowns are to receive — everything happens right beside your chair, all in the same visit. In some cases, the entire procedure takes less than an hour. Unlike traditional crowns, the process is easy, minimally invasive, and clean.
You won’t receive any injections because the process isn’t painful. And CEREC crowns look like natural teeth — they’re often indistinguishable from your regular smile and from the damaged tooth that needed to be repaired. You won’t have to endure the putty mold to take the impression of your damaged tooth, and you won’t need the inconvenience and discomfort of a temporary crown while your crown is made offsite.
During the process of receiving a CEREC crown, the dentist will first prepare your tooth. However, less preparation is required than with a traditional crown, meaning that you will be more comfortable during the process. Then, the dentist uses a special camera to gather images of your tooth. These images will be used in the design of your new CEREC crown. The dentist makes sure that everything that made your tooth unique is included, including certain ridges, indentations, and more. While you are still in the office, a specialized milling machine that utilizes computer-aided designing and manufacturing creates your crown from ceramic. It’s designed to be a perfect match to the tooth that needed repairing — right down to the color. Even your closest friends and family won’t be able to tell that you’ve had a crown.
What is Lifetime Dental Health’s experience with CEREC crowns?
Here at Lifetime Dental Health, we are dedicated to making sure that we incorporate the latest in dental technology to our practice so that we can offer our patients the best range of options for their dental care. We have plenty of experience with CEREC crowns, and can confidently recommend this service to patients who might be candidates for it. We are experts when it comes to CEREC crowns, and can make your own customized crown in a single setting and send you on your way.
Questions about CEREC crowns and whether they might be right for you? Call us today at (614) 333-9442 — we’d be happy to answer them!
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The holidays are upon us, and with these festivities come the feasts! You might find yourself eating more sweets than you usually do — or changing your healthy dental habits to adapt to multiple celebrations. However, even changes that only last through the holiday season are enough to do damage to your pearly whites. It’s important to take some steps to help protect your smile and ensure a healthy holiday season.
What are some healthy holiday activities that won’t hurt my teeth?
You might have heard the term CEREC crowns from someone who has just been to the dentist — or even from your own dentist — without knowing what the name might mean. CEREC stands for Chairside Economical Restoration of Esthetic Ceramics, and this innovative approach to crowns is revolutionizing dentistry. The next time you need a crown from your dentist, CEREC is likely to be a convenient and effective solution.
What are the pros of CEREC crowns?