Keep Your Smile Safe on St. Patrick’s Day with These 4 Tips

As fun as a St. Patrick’s Day party can be, it can also end up putting your smile at risk if you’re not careful. Every year, there’s a significant spike in emergency dental visits on March 18th. Fortunately, you can lower your chances of experiencing a dental issue simply by taking the right precautions. Below are 4 simple steps that can help you protect your smile on St. Patrick’s Day.  

1. Go Easy on the Alcohol

Many people end up drinking more beer than normal on St. Patrick’s Day. However, because beer is acidic, consuming it excessively can weaken your enamel, thereby leaving your teeth more susceptible to decay. If you want to minimize your risk of needing emergency dental care, you should make a point of limiting the amount of beer you drink while you’re partying.

2. Drink Plenty of Water

If you do happen to indulge in beer more than you typically would, you can balance out the negative effects it has on your oral health by drinking water afterwards. Water can help neutralize the acids in your mouth, which can go a long way toward protecting your enamel. On top of that, by staying hydrated, you can lower your risk for dry mouth, which is a common side effect of alcohol consumption. Dry mouth can increase your chances of developing cavities and gum disease, so it’s definitely a condition that you want to avoid.

3. Be Careful Around Green Foods and Drinks

Eating and drinking a lot of green-colored foods and beverages on St. Patrick’s Day can result in stains on your teeth. The good news is that most of the staining will be temporary, and you should be able to remove it with good oral hygiene. Nevertheless, it may be a good idea to moderate your consumption of green-colored treats if you want to keep your smile looking its best at all times.

4. Make Time to Brush When You Get Home

If the St. Patrick’s Day celebrations last well into the night, it may be very late by the time you get home. While you’ll probably want to go to sleep as soon as possible, you should take the time to brush your teeth thoroughly before heading to bed. Brushing every night can help make it significantly less likely that you’ll wake up with an unwanted cavity.

Following the steps above will allow you to protect your smile while still being able to join in the festivities on St. Patrick’s Day. And if a dental issue does occur despite your best efforts, you can always schedule an appointment with your dentist so that they can help you figure out the best strategy for restoring your oral health.

About the Practice

Here at Bear Creek Family Dentistry, our team of dentists and specialists is able to accommodate patients of all ages. As part of our comprehensive menu of services, we offer same-day emergency appointments to help patients with urgent oral health issues achieve the relief they deserve as soon as possible. If you want to schedule a dental appointment at one of our DFW Metroplex locations before or after St. Patrick’s Day, feel free to visit our website or call (214) 333-3100.