Valentine’s Day will be here before you know it, and if you have plans for the big day, you’re probably busy making sure that everything’s ready for you and your partner to have a special time. However, sometimes life can throw a curveball at you, and emergencies can happen—even ones involving your smile, and even during Valentine’s Day! Luckily, it’s quite straightforward to prevent dental emergencies without compromising what you have in store for this exciting holiday. Here are some tips your emergency dentist wants you to keep in mind.
Tip #1. Skip the Chocolates in Favor of Healthy Snacks
It’s hard to imagine Valentine’s Day without big boxes of chocolate hearts, Hershey’s Kisses, and all sorts of other chocolatey sweets and treats. Unfortunately, filling up on these items can greatly increase your chances of incurring a dental injury, due to their incredibly high levels of sugars and acids. Dark chocolate is preferable, since it has less sugar than milk chocolate, but it’s often simply better to opt for healthier snacks in general. Dairy items like cheeses and yogurts paired with fresh fruits and vegetables are much better options; just make you and your partner a romantic charcuterie board and you’re all set!
Tip #2. Drink Plenty of Water
This tip is good advice for any day of the year, but drinking plenty of water daily is one of the best things you can do for your oral health. Valentine’s Day isn’t just associated with chocolates; there are also plenty of sugary and alcoholic beverages that can pose just as much of a threat to your pearly whites as candies and sweets. Wine, punches, sodas, coffee, and more tend to have high sugar content and can also sometimes stain teeth over time as well. Do your smile a favor and choose water as your beverage of choice; it’ll also keep your mouth hydrated, which limits dry mouth and bad breath!
Tip #3. Carry Sugarless Gum with You
In a perfect world, we’d be able to brush our teeth immediately after eating anything; realistically, this is far from the case. However, if you’re out and about this Valentine’s Day and unable to brush after snacking or enjoying a meal, chewing a piece of sugarless gum can serve as a decent alternative. The gum stimulates your mouth’s flow of saliva, which is your primary defense mechanism against cavity-causing bacteria. It also dislodges lingering food debris and helps to freshen your breath. You’d be surprised at the impact that such a small stick of sugar-free gum can have when it comes to preventing oral health issues!
About the Practice
Skyline Dental has proudly served the dental needs of the Morristown, NJ community for several years, offering a wide variety of services including emergency dentistry for those with urgent needs. If you have any questions about the blog or you or someone you know has suffered a dental injury, don’t hesitate to contact the practice today for quick, high-quality emergency care! Telephone: (862) 260-4116.