Learning to Manage Your Dental Problems

Keep Your Smile Bright And Your Breath Fresh For The Holidays

5 December 2014 by Charlotte Beck

Every holiday season brings lots of opportunities for socializing and partying: be it with family, friends, or colleagues from work. No doubt, you will want to be ready for these events with a dazzlingly white smile and mint-fresh breath.

Start Your Dental Health Program with the Basics

Food particles and plaque builds up every day, so you need to floss and brush your teeth properly to remove these. If this food and plaque is not removed, it will very likely lead to bad breath, periodontal disease, and tooth decay eventually.    

Tip: While flossing and brushing are good at reducing bad breath, it is also important to clean or scrape the tongue to remove left-over food particles and dead cells from around this area. A large proportion of bad breath is caused by debris on the tongue. It is possible to buy a tongue scraper, a specially designed tool for cleaning the tongue, or a separate toothbrush can be used for the task.   

Choose Holiday Snacks Wisely

Choose healthier snacks this holiday season. Try fresh fruit and vegetables, which are good for removing plaque and sticky foodstuffs from the teeth. Moreover, these increase saliva, which neutralizes acid and removes bacteria from around the tongue, teeth, and gums.

Tip: Garnishes, especially parsley and mint leaves, are good for keeping the breath fresh, and you should find plenty of these on holiday food trays. 

Be Careful About What You Drink

There are some drinks that stain the teeth, such as coffee, black tea, red wine, and some soft drinks. Try and drink these through a straw because it will minimize the amount of time your teeth are exposed to them. Drink some water afterwards, which helps reduce staining and minimizes the amount of sugar and acid your teeth are exposed to. 

Tip: Drink water rather than drinks that stain your teeth. This will also help keep your breath fresh because it cleans away any bacteria and debris that cause bad breath. Additionally, water will keep you hydrated and prevent you getting dry mouth, which is another cause of bad breath. Green tea is also recommended for drinking, gargling, or rinsing because it inhibits the growth of odor-causing bacteria and reduces the risk of tooth decay.  

Tips on Freshening Up for the Holiday

Sometimes, bad breath can be made worse by some mouthwashes and breath sprays because their alcohol content can irritate the tissues in the mouth. To freshen up quickly, you could try:

• Mixing a few drops of peppermint oil with some water.
• Chewing a piece of sugar-free gum or sucking some sugar-free candy, both of which will increase saliva production and clean away any odor-causing bacteria and food particles
• A minty breath spray, which will mask bad odor for a short while. Alternatively, there is closys, which is specifically aimed at neutralizing bad odors in the mouth.  

Conclusion

By following this simple advice, you will enjoy the holiday season more knowing your smile is bright and sparkly and that your breath is fresh. Furthermore, these tips will help improve your overall oral health. Don't forget that holidays are a time for joy and happiness, so you can now smile confidently with your dazzling smile and beautifully fresh breath. For more information, contact a dental and tooth whitening expert in your area.

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