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Pure NZ Dental Dr Justin’s Guide to Healthy, Happy Teeth this Chinese New Year

Chinese New year is once again round the corner!

This means a great time of meeting old and new family, catch up on what’s been happening throughout the year, and of course, lots of food!

While this is awesome news to many of you (we know, we’re excited too!), do take care when indulging too much in your new year goodies.

At Pure NZ Dental, we believe prevention is better than cure. Here’s a few pointers we hope can help you keep you and your teeth happy throughout this festive season.

The Rule of Thumb

Indulgence once in a while is fine, but moderation is key. Firstly, because your body will not be used to the drastic changes and that might have adverse effects. Secondly, this can spell disaster for your teeth as continuous exposure to sugar can cause the acid the weaken your enamel and cause some serious damage!

Drinks

Be mindful of fizzy drinks – have sugar free ones instead. For example, Diet Coke (though it’s still acidic) or better still, choose ones without the fizz e.g. Green tea or drinks with less sugar etc.

P.S Bear in mind that nearly everything contains starch and starch is sugar!

Snacks

Pineapple tarts are full of sugar and fat, and each one can contain up to 82 calories! Check out the calorie count of popular CNY foods here. Have a few, but don’t indulge!

Chocolates. The general rule here is the darker the better, it’ll contain less sugar.  Cakes, both traditional and modern, are also sweet and full of sugar.

As an alternative, nuts are better as they contain more healthy fat than sugared snacks.

Peanuts are popular and you should choose them every time. Cashew nuts too, be sure to choose the ones that are plain roasted. Pistachios nuts are a good source of healthy fats, and protect against heart disease and diabetes.

Tips and tricks on how to protect your teeth

If you could chew some chewing gum between the snacking it will help your mouth produce saliva which will act as a buffer from the acid produced. Of course, be mindful where you dispose of your gum afterwards!

If you’ve been maintaining your teeth and they are in good shape, it’s ok to go wild for a few days of indulgence. However, be careful with the hard food like nut shells and kuaci – which can chip or break your teeth and cause you unnecessary trouble.

Pace yourself when consuming sugary snack, and give yourself a break from time to time. This allows the mouth and saliva to break down the previous round of food before you go for round 2 or round 3, 4, 5, …

Conclusion

The best advice I can give you is to know your teeth. If you generally have good teeth, there’s not much to worry about. However, if you’re prone to getting cavities, you have to be extra careful this season. Be sure to carry a toothbrush around so that you can brush your teeth after a meal. At the end of the day, rinse your mouth thoroughly with mouthwash, and schedule a visit to the dentist after your big feast to make sure everything is in order.

Have a great time with your family this festive season, and from all of us at Pure NZ Dental, we wish you a happy Chinese New Year![/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]