Your holiday break is a great time to catch up on some much-needed R&R, spend time with your family, and set goals for the new year. However, it’s also a good time to get any dental work that you’ve been putting off! Don’t worry – recovering from oral surgery won’t make the end-of-the-year festivities a bore either. Here are a few holiday-specific tips to keep in mind as you heal.
Tip #1: Be Mindful About What You Eat
Immediately after your appointment, it’s normal to feel some soreness. To avoid exacerbating this sensation, it’s important to steer clear of acidic, sugary, hard, crunchy, and sticky foods. Sadly, many holiday staples make this list, including pumpkin pie, peppermint park, and caramel popcorn. The good news is that there are plenty more foods you can eat, like mashed potatoes, green bean casseroles (without nuts), stuffing, pumpkin pie, and cheesecake!
Tip #2: Take It Easy
The holidays often come with a lot of hustle and bustle. While you might be tempted to play sports with your nephews, play charades with your friends, or use your time off to get in a workout or two, it’s best to focus on relaxing. Try a more low-key activity, like having a holiday movie marathon!
Tip #3: Don’t Deviate From Your Oral Hygiene Routine
When you deviate from your day-to-day routine, you might also deviate from your usual brushing and flossing regimen. Since keeping your mouth clean is an important part of the healing process, it’s important that you take measures to prevent that from happening! Whether you’re out of town or hosting loved ones at your home, make sure to gently brush for a full two minutes each morning and evening and floss at least once a day.
Tip #4: Keep the Essentials Close By
Having a travel-sized toothbrush, toothpaste, and floss on hand is always a good idea, especially since you might need to clean your teeth on-the-go during the holiday season. But those aren’t the only “essentials” you should keep on hand. Also consider keeping an over-the-counter pain reliever, your post-operative instructions, and your dentist’s contact information with you while you recover.
The holiday season only comes around once a year, and you deserve to enjoy it to the fullest! Fortunately, recovering from oral surgery won’t get in your way as long as you keep the above tips in mind.
About the Practice
Dr. Jesse Lemoine, Dr. Harith Kamil, and Dr. Naman Rao are the three exceptional dentists leading our team at Super Dental of Fitchburg. With their combined talent, training, and education, they can help patients in Fitchburg with routine checkups, cosmetic dentistry, tooth extractions, and more. Plus, we will provide you with all of our recommendations on what to do after your appointment to help your recovery go smoothly too. If you have a question about the healing process or you’d like to schedule an appointment, don’t hesitate to visit our website or call (978) 342-8500.