Best Christmas drinks to have and beverages to avoid for healthy teeth

The festive season is upon us and it is the perfect time to indulge in your favourite Christmas foods and drinks, but ensure you pick the ones that will do minimal damage to your oral health.

As the Christmas party season draws closer, different kinds of drinks will be on the menu. Although these drinks don’t have loads of health benefits, some are to be chosen over others when it comes to dental health.

On a typical day, an average human consumes twice as much sugar than the recommended amount, which could lead to cavities and other dental problems. During the Christmas season people tend to drink even more than that, so to avoid causing damage to your teeth, you need to be cautious. Have a look at the Christmas drinks list below to know the type of Christmas beverages you can say yes to and the ones you should say no to, even if it’s tough.

Christmas drinks to enjoy

Gin and Tonic

You can have a G&T drink and not worry too much about damaging your teeth because it has low acidity levels which makes it less likely to damage the tooth enamel. If you want to reduce the acidity further, then add ice which will water it down slightly.

Milky Hot Chocolate

You can save yourself the inevitable stains by opting for a milky hot chocolate drink, instead of your traditional tea or coffee. Not only is the milk less likely to stain your teeth, but it will also strengthen your teeth and adequately protect them against decay. The milky hot chocolate drink comes with more benefits than you imagined, especially if the chocolate proportion is low.

Cava

Why not drop your red or white wine and opt for the Spanish sparkling wine, Cava. It has a PH level between three and four, which signifies that it contains low levels of acid, unlike the red wine that has a PH level of up to six.

Beer

Yes, beer is among the cool Christmas drinks you can take. But, ensure you always choose light beer over a dark beer as it doesn’t only reduce the risk of staining, it has more water content and less acid. Your teeth are likely to be stained by the barley in stout, as they are mostly brewed with dark fruits.

Christmas drinks to give a miss

Red Wine

A cup of red wine might seem like the perfect topping to a cosy night in, but the more pigmented and darker it is, the more likely it is to stain your teeth. After a few sips, the pigmentations settle on your teeth due to the cracks in the enamel.

Rum and Coke

A lot of dentists worldwide advice you to take rum and coke off the list entirely. Fizzy drinks tend to add a layer of sugar coating to the teeth; the addition of rum increases the acidity, which will damage your teeth faster.

White wine

It might seem like a smart idea to switch from red wine to white wine, but in the end, it might just be the same. While you will avoid the immediate stains if you opt for white wine, the high acidity level will weaken the enamel and make your teeth prone to picking up stains from other foods.

Vodka

Avoid taking vodka as it can dry out your mouth, which reduces saliva and eventually leads to bad breath. You wouldn’t want to have bad breath when singing Christmas songs at your Christmas party.

If you still find your teeth get stained during your Christmas celebrations, you can check out Muswell Hill Smile tooth whitening services to restore your post-Christmas smile ready to shine in the new year.