Keep Smiles Bright this Season
The holidays are filled with fun, food, and celebrations—from Halloween candy to Thanksgiving feasts and Christmas treats. While this is an exciting time for families, it’s important to remember that these indulgences can also create dental issues. From sticky Halloween sweets to sugary holiday desserts, maintaining good oral health can be a challenge for children, teens, adults, and seniors alike.
At Lakefront Family Dentistry in Lake Elsinore, CA, Dr. Mark Phillipe and Dr. Derek Hauser have spent over 40 combined years helping families maintain healthy smiles year-round. Their extensive services can help protect your family’s oral health during the busy holiday season.
Here’s how the holidays can impact your dental health and tips for each family member:
Halloween: A Candy-Centered Challenge
Limit sticky and hard candies: These can stick to teeth and increase the risk of cavities.
Brush and floss immediately: Removing sugar and plaque on teeth is key after indulging.
Thanksgiving: Feast Without the Decay
Stay hydrated: Drinking water helps wash away food particles and neutralizes acids.
Floss after meals: Thanksgiving dishes often include starchy foods that can stick between teeth, leading to plaque buildup.
Christmas & Holiday Treats
Moderation is key: Try to limit sugary treats like candy canes and eggnog.
– Rinse with water after sugary snacks to protect tooth enamel.
Holiday Dental Services at Lakefront Family Dentistry
Dr. Phillipe and Dr. Hauser offer a full range of dental services to help your family stay on top of your oral health during the holidays, including:
– Cosmetic Dentistry: Veneers, crowns, and smile makeovers
– Periodontal Treatment: Prevention and treatment of gum disease for seniors
– Dentistry for Children: Preventive care and cleanings for kids
– Teeth Whitening: For a bright holiday smile
– Solea Laser Technology: Painless procedures for a frenectomy, fillings and more
Call Lakefront Family Dentistry at (951) 244-9495 or request an appointment on our website to protect your family’s smiles this holiday season!
Halloween: Navigating Candy Season
For most families, Halloween means buckets full of candy—and as delicious as those treats are, they can wreak havoc on teeth, especially for kids and teens. Sticky candies like caramel, taffy, and gummies can get lodged in the grooves of teeth, leading to an increased risk of cavities.
Tips for Protecting Teeth During Halloween:
Choose Candy Wisely: Encourage your children to enjoy candy that dissolves quickly, such as chocolate, instead of sticky or hard candies. Sticky sweets can get stuck between teeth, leading to plaque buildup.
Brush and Floss After Treats: Make sure your children brush and floss their teeth after consuming candy to remove any leftover particles.
Preventive Dental Care for Kids: Lakefront Family Dentistry provides preventive dental care for children, including routine cleanings and fluoride treatments, which can help strengthen your child’s enamel and protect their teeth during candy season. Sealants may also be recommended for kids to prevent cavities in the hard-to-reach molars.
Thanksgiving: Feasts and Their Impact on Teeth
Thanksgiving is synonymous with large meals and desserts. While these foods may not seem as obviously harmful as candy, starchy sides like mashed potatoes and stuffing can break down into sugars that feed harmful bacteria in the mouth. Additionally, Thanksgiving pies and sweets add to the risk of tooth decay.
Thanksgiving Tips for Oral Health:
Stay Hydrated: Drinking water during and after meals can help wash away food particles and neutralize acids produced by bacteria.
Flossing is Key: Many Thanksgiving foods can get stuck between teeth. Encourage every family member to floss after their meal.
Adult and Senior Dental Care: For adults and seniors, regular check-ups and cleanings are crucial to maintaining oral health. Dr. Hauser and Dr. Phillipe offer comprehensive exams, including oral cancer screenings and periodontal disease treatment, to ensure long-term health and prevent issues such as gum disease and tooth loss.
Christmas: Sugar, Treats, and Oral Health
Christmas often involves an array of holiday cookies, cakes, candy canes, and sugary drinks like hot cocoa and eggnog. While indulging in holiday treats is part of the fun, excessive sugar consumption can lead to tooth decay for both children and adults.
Oral Care Tips for Christmas:
Moderation is Key: Encourage your family to enjoy sweets in moderation. Limit sugary snacks to mealtimes, when the increased saliva helps protect teeth.
Rinse with Water: After consuming sugary or acidic foods and drinks, rinsing the mouth with water can help reduce the risk of cavities and enamel erosion.
Comprehensive Services for the Whole Family: Lakefront Family Dentistry offers a range of services to protect your family’s oral health, including dental cleanings, cavity prevention, and fillings. For children, preventive care with fluoride treatments and sealants can help protect against holiday indulgences.
For adults, cosmetic services such as teeth whitening are popular around the holidays, as patients often want to look their best for gatherings and celebrations. Dr. Hauser and Dr. Phillipe use the latest technology, including the Solea Laser for painless fillings and other treatments, which reduces discomfort and recovery time.
New Year’s: Resolutions for a Healthier Smile
The start of a new year is a time for setting resolutions, and there’s no better time to make oral health a priority. Whether it’s scheduling overdue dental check-ups or improving daily hygiene habits, the new year is an opportunity to start fresh.
New Year’s Resolutions for Better Oral Health:
Schedule Routine Check-ups: Make sure each family member is up to date with their dental exams and cleanings. At Lakefront Family Dentistry, Dr. Hauser and Dr. Phillipe perform thorough check-ups to identify and address any potential issues early on.
Focus on Daily Oral Hygiene: Brushing twice a day and flossing daily should be a top priority for everyone, from children to seniors.
Dental Restorations for Seniors: For seniors who have experienced tooth loss or damage, the New Year is the perfect time to explore restorative options such as dental implants, bridges, and crowns. Dr. Phillipe and Dr. Hauser have extensive experience in restoring smiles and oral function for seniors, improving both aesthetics and quality of life.
Dental Services at Lakefront Family Dentistry
At Lakefront Family Dentistry, patients can expect comprehensive, state-of-the-art care from skilled professionals who treat patients of all ages. Whether it’s preventive care, cosmetic dentistry, or advanced treatments, the team provides tailored solutions for every family member. Here are some of the services they offer:
Routine Check-ups and Cleanings: Preventive care for children, adults, and senior dental care.
Fluoride Treatments and Sealants: To protect against cavities, especially in children.
Solea Laser Treatments: Pain-free fillings, frenectomy for infants, and other procedures without the need for anesthesia.
Cosmetic Dentistry: Teeth whitening, veneers, and CEREC crowns.
Restorative Dentistry: Crowns, bridges, dental implants, and more.
Periodontal Disease Treatment: Comprehensive care for gum disease to prevent tooth loss.
Dentistry for Kids: Specialized care for children, including early orthodontic assessments.
Keep Your Family’s Smile Bright This Holiday Season
From Halloween to New Year’s, the holiday season is a time of joy, but it can also be a challenging time for oral health. By maintaining good dental hygiene habits and scheduling routine check-ups at Lakefront Family Dentistry, your family can enjoy the holidays without compromising their smiles.
Whether it’s preventive care for kids, cosmetic treatments for adults, or restorative services for seniors, Dr. Mark Phillipe and Dr. Derek Hauser are here to help you and your family achieve optimal oral health throughout the holidays and beyond.
Call (951) 244-9495 today to request your family’s appointments or fill out the secure form on our website to request an appointment!
