Why should you smile?

The act of smiling releases endorphins that help elevate your mood. Holiday planning can be stressful, but smiling helps reduce stress and lower your blood pressure. The holidays are also a time of joy to make others smile, and since smiles are contagious, try smiling just to make others feel good. In addition, you want to look happy in your holiday pictures. Smiles make you look more attractive and younger.

A new smile can help you smile more

Dr. Young offers restorative and cosmetic treatments to enhance your smile, so you’ll want to smile more.

• Clear braces: Crooked teeth are difficult to clean, causing cavities, gum disease, and other dental problems that make your smile even worse. In addition, wire braces can make you want to hide your teeth even more. Fortunately, Dr. Young offers Invisalign clear braces to secretly straighten your grin.
• Breath treatment: If your breath smells bad, you might be embarrassed under the mistletoe. Dental problems, poor hygiene, and other health issues can contribute to smelly breath. Dr. Young can determine the cause of your bad breath, and help you get plenty of fresh kisses.
• Cosmetics: Yellow and chipped teeth can be unpleasant to look at. Veneers, whitening, and other cosmetic treatments can help enhance your smile to improve your appearance and make your smile as white as the wintery snow.
• Implants: Don’t miss out on making memories just because of missing teeth. Dental implants and dentures can help fill in the gaps and restore your complete smile.

If you know your teeth are healthy and beautiful, you can smile confidently. Dr. Young can give you something to smile about and get you ready for holiday pictures. Contact Dr. Young at our dentist office in Lafayette, Louisiana at (337) 237-6453 to enjoy the holidays full of smiles.

The post Reasons to Smile for the Holidays appeared first on 23 Smiles.

Appetizers

Don’t go to the party hungry. Eat a light snack before you go so you won’t need to overeat while you’re there. If you’re not starving, you’ll also make healthier food decisions. However, avoid grazing while you’re waiting for the full meal. Snacking too much will expose your teeth to more sugars and acids and they will be left on your teeth for a longer period of time, contributing to more decay and problems. Watch what you eat, because sliced veggies, crackers, chips, and other crunchy appetizers can be damaging if you’re not careful. Biting too hard can cause your teeth to chip or crack.

Avoid the sweet treats

Limit the holiday treats and alcohol. Many holiday favorites are loaded with sugar and calories. We want you to enjoy your favorite holiday cookie, eggnog, or candy, but be conscious of your other food choices to avoid gaining unwanted holiday pounds or cavities. Pick from the plate of fruits, veggies, or whole grains, instead of the dessert platter.

The big meal

Keep your serving sizes small. Once the food is on your plate, you’ll feel inclined to eat it. Take small portions of food to avoid overeating. Go back for more if you need to, but take a break between plates to realize how full you really are. You should also be conscious of soft drinks, red wine, and other beverages that could stain your teeth as you wash down your meal. Watch what you eat so you’ll be aware of what you’re putting in your mouth.

When you’re not eating

Talk with other guests to focus your mind on something other than food. Socializing will help give you something to do so you won’t feel the need to constantly snack. You should also try to stay relaxed. Stress can cause you to overeat or drown your anxiety in sugar and carbs.

After the meal

Step away from the gathering for a few moments of quiet time to clear your head from the party commotion. Take a quick walk around the neighborhood to help digest your food and keep your body energized. And make sure you brush, floss, and rinse your mouth to help stop the celebration in your mouth.

And remember, Dr. Young can keep your smile ready for holiday fun. Contact our dental office in Lafayette, LA at (337) 237-6453 to schedule your appointment.

The post Protecting Your Teeth During Holiday Parties appeared first on 23 Smiles.