How the Holidays in March Can Affect Your Oral Health

This March, there’s quite a bit to celebrate. It’s the end of winter and the beginning of spring, which is always worth getting excited about, but there are also several holidays that happen to fall in this month.

However, many of these celebrations can potentially have an effect on your oral health, especially if you aren’t careful. If you want to know what they are, and how you can prevent them, here are some of the festivities to watch out for this March.

St. Patrick’s Day

St. Patrick’s Day falls on a Friday this year, which means that the drinking is likely to be even more intense than usual. While there’s nothing wrong with cutting loose, the beer on St. Patrick’s Day can be particularly bad for your teeth. Guinness and dyed green beer can potentially discolor your teeth if you aren’t careful, especially if they get caught in plaque deposits. Be sure to brush before and after the festivities to keep your smile shining.

Ramadan

Ramadan begins in March, and fasting can potentially affect your oral health. Not drinking any water during the fast severely reduces the amount of saliva that’s in your mouth, which hinders its ability to clean itself and regulate its pH.

When fasting, it’s even more important than usual to brush frequently to make up for the lack of saliva. Some Muslims believe that they can’t use toothpaste during the fast due to the chance of swallowing it; however, most Muslim scholars disagree with this, as you ideally shouldn’t be swallowing your toothpaste anyway. In either case, you can brush your teeth thoroughly before bed and when you first wake up, before the sun rises.

Pi Day

This one’s a little on the jokey side, but some people take it very seriously. March 14 (3/14) is Pi Day, and many people celebrate by baking a pie and sharing it with others. Needless to say, this can cause serious damage to your teeth.

Pie is filled with sugar, and darker berry pies can potentially leave pigment behind that can stain your teeth. Feel free to indulge, but you might want to brush your teeth after you do.

March has a lot to celebrate, and so long as you’re conscientious, you can enjoy these holidays without having to worry about the consequences for your teeth.

About Our Practice

At Chester County Dental Arts, we pride ourselves on being able to offer a style of dentistry that you won’t find anywhere else. We serve our patients with “no-shame dentistry,” where no matter the oral health situation that you find yourself in, you can rest assured that you’ll feel happy and comfortable for the duration of your stay with us. It doesn’t matter who you are; we want you to have the smile you deserve! If you have any questions about which foods could be dangerous for your oral health, we can be reached at our website or by phone at (610) 383-1600.