See in the New Year … with all your teeth

Think twice before tucking into the crackling this Christmas, is the advice of dentists.

They say that over indulging during the festive season leaves many Australians suffering from chipped, cracked and even broken teeth.

Over the Christmas/New Year break, people tend to eat more, especially more unusual things such as crackling and plum pudding containing coins.

Additionally, increased consumption of alcohol tends to mar people’s better judgement.

Dental trauma caused by intoxication – people falling over, alcohol fuelled violence and backyard sporting injuries to the mouth and jaw can occur.

The Australian Dental Association Victorian Branch offers these tips to help ensure your teeth see in the New Year, intact …

• Take care when eating unusual foods like crackling, nuts and plum puddings containing coins.
• Don’t use your teeth to open bottle tops – this weakens teeth and can lead to a chipped or even a broken tooth.