Don’t let Easter Excesses Damage Your Oral Health!

Blue Sky Dental’s top oral care tips for the bank holiday weekend

Although it may not have the same religious popularity as it once did, Easter is still a time that a lot of us look forward to. It’s the first bank holiday of the year and comes at a time when we hope that the weather will be a little warmer as it appears to be this year.

Although there are always chances of showers in this country, there is little doubt that barbeques and other outdoor events will still be taking place.

Given the events of recent years, and ongoing, it is important that we take time out to enjoy ourselves and relax. This though, will inevitably include things that could be potentially harmful for our oral health. Today, we offer a guide for Chelmsford patients of Blue Sky Dental, to help you avoid the worst of the potential pitfalls.

Alcohol

Perhaps the biggest cause of dental accidents at any holiday or weekend comes from accidents caused by drinking too much alcohol. By all means, enjoy a pint or two but do try to keep your consumption down to a moderate level. Hospitals too will be grateful for a quieter A&E, especially as they are forecasting a busy weekend with Covid cases too. Being too much under the influence of alcohol (or other drugs) can lead to teeth being broken or even knocked out. Remember too that dental practices also close for the long weekend so you are unlikely to be able to see your usual dentist and will be referred elsewhere for urgent treatment.

Alcohol also leads to a drier mouth which in turn, helps bacteria thrive in the dry environment. When this happens, there is a higher risk of gum disease too. Our advice to you would be to moderate your drinking and also drink plenty of water to help stay hydrated.

Easter Eggs

This one is largely for the kids, but we know plenty of adults who have a secret ‘stash’ of Easter eggs so you are not immune from the possible problems they can cause. The main issue is, of course, sugar, and lots of it. Easter eggs are a traditional way of celebrating and it is highly unlikely that you will be able to stop your children from eating them. Do try to keep this to a reasonable level though and make sure that they (and you!) continue to clean their teeth well.

You might also want to use alternative prizes for the easter egg hunt? Maybe wrap little gifts in festive paper and hide those instead, but you can adjust this according to your child’s preferences.

Barbeques

Whilst many people will acknowledge the harm to their teeth that eating too much chocolate can cause, fewer will recognise the risks that come from barbequed food. It isn’t the method of cooking that is the problem (although undercooked food certainly can be), but the marinades that are used for this purpose. Most of the popular ones such as barbeque marinade and sweet chilli sauce not only contain high levels of sugar but, once cooked, become extremely sticky too. Not only does this cause messy fingers but also means that much of this will remain stuck on your teeth, possibly for a long time.

There are less sticky marinades that can be found on the internet but the most important thing is to recognise the problem and make sure to take extra care to remove these afterwards. We strongly recommend that you use floss as well as brushing your teeth, as much of the sticky marinade is likely to get stuck there. Drinking water as you eat will also help to remove some of this but shouldn’t replace proper cleaning.

Keep your routine

As with any celebratory occasion, it is easy to let your regular routines slide. This can include our oral health regime. Whether from tiredness or too much alcohol, it can be all too easy to head to bed without cleaning your teeth or just giving them a cursory brush. However much you might not feel like it, you should make sure to brush your teeth really well and floss them too so that you don’t go to bed with your teeth and gums coated in sugar.

Finally, as we mentioned earlier, our practice will be closed over the Bank holiday and, whilst we hope that our Chelmsford patients won’t need urgent dental care; if you do break a tooth or suffer significant damage to them, you can still call our number where you will hear a message telling you what to do next. Remember too, that if the damage has been caused by a blow to the face or head, it might be advisable to visit A&E first to make sure that there are no serious injuries.

For emergency oral care information over the Bank holiday or to book a general appointment once we are open again, please call Blue Sky Dental on 01245 211070.