Today's funny ... and top 5 holiday dental tips

Top 5 Thanksgiving Dental Tips

1. Crack nuts with a nutcracker, not your teeth. Many a man, woman, and child cracks a tooth over the holiday thinking their teeth are made of steel. Squirrels were made for that, not humans. Truth is, under that hard enamel shell is a very sensitive nerve running through a root surrounded by soft living tissue. Crack the shell, and I'm not talking about the nut, and welcome pain. Yes, cracking a tooth is an intensely painful experience resulting in the urgent need for a root canal and crown. Be smart, use a nutcracker.



2. Don't open beer bottles with your teeth. You may laugh, but a few years ago we had a patient come in with a cracked front tooth. We asked him how it happened and with some reservation, he smiled and told us the truth. "There was this party you see...and I wanted a beer...". You get the picture. $3,000 later we had him in a dental implant and crown with a new smile...which cost could have been avoided.



3. Yes, caramel popcorn balls are too sweet. Skip the caramel popcorn balls..."but how can I skip a family tradition", you say! Easy, munch on a single unpopped kernal of popcorn a little too hard and I bet the BCS championship you will end up in my dental chair. Crack the cusp of a tooth, crack a molar to the root - there is no dental challenge too hard for a carmelized popcorn ball.



4. Brush and floss your teeth after the pies. The single greatest cause of dental decay is food (usually sugar) left on or around the tooth. Brushing and flossing is an obvious solution, it removes excess food and cleans the surface of the tooth. But who remembers to bring their toothbrush and dental floss to a Thanksgiving dinner party, other than dentists. You do...or at least you should. Swing by our office and we will give each of your family members a FREE toothbrush and floss.



5. Don't bite candy canes. I know, it's not Christmas yet, but the day after Thanksgiving someone will whip out candy canes and start decorating your Christmas tree. Don't give in to the temptation to bite down on that candy cane. And just wait until next week when we blog about eating toffee with nuts.


And last of all, and most importantly, be thankful for your teeth and a health smile. And if you are not, give us a call and we will help you get a reason to smile.

Originally posted here!