Protecting your Teeth Post-Christmas – It’s always the way at Christmas. Dental clinics close up and just as they do, crack! Murphy’s Law is at it again. Between crispy pork crackling and rogue traditions like putting a penny in Christmas Pudding (not recommended from a dentists’ perspective).
Chips and cracks around the holiday season certainly aren’t unheard of. However, it doesn’t have to be a given. Let’s look at the ways to prevent those problems from popping up.
Getting big problems out of the way by Protecting your Teeth
First, any problems causing you pain or irritating your tongue are worth getting sorted. Coming in to remove a thorn from your side is also a great opportunity for your dentist to have a good look at all your teeth.
Having an idea of any or all work that needs doing for protecting your teeth means that we have a list to work through. We can prioritise it in a way that suits your means and lifestyle.
Fixing problems before they surprise you.
Treating tooth decay is usually the best way to prevent surprise breaks and pain. Decay can be tricky to spot, and quietly grow until it practically hollows out a tooth.
If you’ve ever been in a position where you’ve had a tooth break while eating something wonderfully soft and gentle, most times underlying decay was the real culprit. X-rays are a great way to make sure we catch some of those hard-to-spot holes before they catch you off guard.
Protecting your Teeth by take the Pressure Off
Another big cause of breaks, and probably why they’re so rife around the end of the year, is from clenching and grinding habits. Clenching your teeth is a common side effect of stress, and holidays can be full of stress!
Humans can exert a huge amount of pressure with their jaws, and your teeth cop a lot of that pressure that can even crack healthy teeth. If you have any existing fillings, your teeth are even more prone to breaking under stress. Protecting your teeth by using appliances like splints or night guards are wonderful at relieving a bit of that pressure. Protecting your teeth throughout the night when clenching and grinding often goes unchecked.
The common theme for all these little tips is catching problems early and preventing them before they become what we call ‘catastrophic’ – the point where a tooth must be removed. Routine check-ups and regular x-rays (between every 2-4 years) will give you the best chance of managing molehills before they become mountains.
From the team at Sunshine Coast Smile Centre, we hope your Christmas is merry and problem free – and we look forward to seeing you in the new year!
Phone: (07) 5443 2800 – Contact Maroochydore Dentist: Sunshine Coast Smile Centre
