Tis the season …. for good oral hygiene!
In the run up to Christmas Valley Dental Practice will be open as normal until Monday 23rd December. Should you have any problems with your teeth in the run up to Christmas, please ring the surgery as early as possible as we have a number of emergency slots available each day but these are filled on a first come first serve basis. By ringing early, we will endeavour to see you as quickly as possible.
Valley Dental Practice will be closed for Christmas from 5pm on Monday 23rd December and will reopen on Thursday 2nd December. During this time should you have a dental emergency please call the practice on 01255 220322. The answerphone message will give you details of our out of hours’ emergency service.
Here at Valley Dental Practice we have come up with some top tips to ensure that your teeth stay in tip top condition this festive season.
- During the festive period brush your teeth at least twice a day using a fluoride toothpaste and clean between your teeth daily using interdental aids such as interdental brushes, floss or tape. This will help to ensure that you remove any trapped food and plaque, reducing the risk of experiencing decay in January.
- Why not treat yourself to a new toothbrush at the start of December. Toothbrushes should be changed every 3-4 months, and this will ensure that you are getting the most effective clean possible when you brush your teeth.
- With all the sweet treats around do not forget to include fruit and vegetables in your diet these will help to ensure you get all the vitamins and minerals you need and help keep your teeth and gums healthy.
- With so much food available it can become easy to just graze all day. To help your teeth and general health aim to eat 3 meals a day plus no more than two snacks. If you do snack stick to crudities and nuts rather than sweets and chocolates. Nuts provide a great source of calcium and vitamin D which have been shown to help improve your dental health.
- Wherever possible try to enjoy your sugary treats after your meals. Dried fruits are also high in sugar and can get stuck to your teeth so try to have mince pies, Christmas pudding and Christmas cake after a meal to. This is because we produce more saliva when we are eating which helps neutralise the acids produced by bacteria in the mouth and it also helps to rinse away food particles and sugary substances.
- Red wine can stain teeth so if you don’t mind which you drink try to stick to white wine this Christmas. Cheese is a great accompaniment for wine as it contains calcium and helps to combat the damaging effects of acid.
All the team at Valley Dental Practice would like to wish our patients a happy and hopefully trouble free festive period, but should you have any problems do not hesitate to contact the surgery on 01255 220322.
