How Holidays Can Harm Your Teeth

With Thanksgiving coming, the holiday season is about to begin. It’s a wonderful time of year full of celebration with family and friends, as well as sweet treats and indulgent meals. These holiday meals can be hard on your teeth, causing tooth decay, gum disease, and in some cases, mouth injuries.

As your top provider of orthodontic and dental care in the Pittsburgh area, Severns Dentistry & Orthodontics has put together a handy guide to protecting your teeth this holiday season.

While many people like to indulge in sweet treats during the holiday, some of these treats can cause damage to your dental work and can also increase your risk of developing tooth decay because they get stuck in between your teeth and to your enamel.

Foods to avoid:

These sticky treats can loosen your fillings or may cause dental work to fall out completely. These types of food can also damage porcelain veneers, dental bonding, and other cosmetic or restorative dental work, which can lead to an expensive dentist visit after the holidays.

Other sweet treats such as hard candies and nuts may chip your teeth, especially if your teeth are already weakened due to existing tooth decay, gum disease, or poor oral hygiene. Other food such as caramel-based candy, popcorn kernels, and ice cubes may also chip or crack your teeth. Even if your mouth is healthy, you are still at risk for chips or cracks caused by these hard foods.

You may also experience an infection or a tooth abscess if you get food, such as a popcorn kernel stuck in your tooth. Brushing and flossing your teeth can help, but some may require antibiotics and emergency dental care to resolve the issue. Be sure to contact Severns Dentistry & Orthodontics for emergency dental care if you experience a chip or crack in one of your teeth.

It is easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of the holidays, but be sure to use the proper tools for tasks such as cutting wire, opening gifts, cracking nuts, or opening beer bottles. Don’t use your teeth to complete these tasks because it can easily lead to chipping or cracking your teeth. By using scissors or other tools to complete these tasks, you can avoid dental treatment and procedures such as:

At Severns Dentistry & Orthodontics, McMurray patients can visit orthodontist Dr. Natalie Severns or Dr. Chris Severns, who provides family and cosmetic dentistry, for all their orthodontic and dental care needs this holiday season. Have a holiday dental emergency? Contact Severns Dentistry & Orthodontics at (724) 942-8300.

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