October 19, 2026 How to Protect Your Teeth During the Holidays
The holidays bring sweets, celebrations, and packed schedules. A few simple habits can keep your smile healthy through the new year.
How to Protect Your Teeth During the Holidays
From Thanksgiving pie to holiday parties to New Year’s Eve, the end of the year is full of good food and time with people you love. It is also a season when routines slip and treats are everywhere. At Brown Family Dentistry, we see a rise in chipped teeth, cavities, and dental emergencies after the holidays. Here is how to enjoy the season without putting your smile at risk.
Be Smart About Holiday Sweets
You do not have to skip dessert, but some treats are harder on your teeth than others. Sugar feeds the bacteria in your mouth, which produce acids that wear down enamel and lead to cavities. How long sugar stays on your teeth matters as much as how much you eat.
A few treats deserve extra caution:
- Sticky candies. Caramels, taffy, and gummies cling to teeth and can pull on fillings and crowns.
- Hard candies and candy canes. Biting down on them can crack or chip a tooth, and sucking on them bathes your teeth in sugar for a long time.
- Grazing. Snacking from a dessert table all afternoon keeps your teeth under constant acid attack.
A better approach is to enjoy sweets with a meal instead of throughout the day. Your mouth produces more saliva while you eat, which helps rinse away sugar and neutralize acids.
Watch What You Drink
Holiday drinks can be just as tough on teeth as holiday food. Eggnog, hot chocolate, cider, and specialty coffee drinks are often loaded with sugar. Red wine and coffee can stain enamel, and alcohol can dry out your mouth, which reduces the saliva that protects your teeth.
Drinking water between other beverages is one of the easiest ways to help. It rinses your teeth, keeps you hydrated, and helps your mouth stay balanced.
Your Teeth Are Not Tools
Opening packages, cracking nuts, tearing tape, and popping bottle caps with your teeth are some of the most common causes of chipped and broken teeth we see this time of year. It only takes one wrong bite. Keep scissors and a nutcracker nearby and save your teeth for eating.
Keep Your Routine While You Travel
Late nights, travel, and full schedules make it easy to skip brushing or forget to floss. Missing a night here and there adds up over a few weeks.
If you are traveling, pack a small dental kit with:
- A toothbrush with a cover
- Travel-size toothpaste
- Floss or floss picks
- Any night guard or retainer you normally wear
Brush twice a day and floss daily, even on the busiest days. If you cannot brush after a meal, rinsing with water or chewing sugar-free gum can help until you can.
What to Do If a Dental Emergency Happens
Accidents happen, even during the holidays. If you chip or break a tooth, rinse your mouth with warm water, save any pieces you can find, and use a cold compress to reduce swelling. If a tooth is knocked out, handle it by the crown (the top part), not the root, and keep it moist in milk or saliva. Call your dentist as soon as possible, since timing matters.
Our team offers same-day and next-day appointments for dental emergencies whenever possible. You can find more tips on our home care instructions page.
Our upcoming holiday hours:
- Thanksgiving week -closed Wednesday afternoon, Thursday, Friday
- Christmas- closed December 24th and 25th
- New Years- Closed December 31st and January 1st
Use Your Dental Benefits Before the Year Ends
Many dental insurance plans reset on January 1. If you have not used your benefits this year, the holiday season is a good time to schedule a checkup and cleaning so you do not leave coverage on the table. It is also a chance to take care of any treatment you have been putting off, like a filling or crown, before the new year. Check with your insurance provider for the details of your plan.
Start the New Year With a Healthy Smile in Fort Worth
At Brown Family Dentistry, we want you to enjoy every part of the holiday season, including the food. Dr. Kent Brown, Dr. Jake Brown, and Dr. Matthew Lewis and our team are here to help you keep your smile healthy through the holidays and into the new year. You can see everything included in our general dentistry care here.
Ready to book your end-of-year checkup? Call us at (817) 625-1548 or request an appointment online. New patients are always welcome.