1.
Press
Release
For
more
information,
contact:
Rachael
Montgomery,
ODA
Creative
Communications
Intern
405.848.8873,
405.590.8466,
rachael@okda.org
Oral
Health
Tips
during
the
Holiday
Season
Following
basic
oral
health
tips
can
help
prevent
unwanted
dental
problems
Oklahoma
City
–
The
holiday
season
is
quickly
approaching,
and
with
that,
comes
gatherings
that
tempt
Oklahomans
to
eat
more.
The
Oklahoma
Dental
Association
recommends
following
good
oral
health
habits
to
help
keep
teeth
healthy
and
cavity-­‐free
during
the
sweetest
times
of
the
year.
Sweet
treats
and
other
holiday
favorites
can
affects
one’s
overall
health,
including
mouth
and
gums.
What
you
put
in
your
mouth
impacts
not
only
your
general
health
but
also
that
of
your
teeth
and
gums.
Consider
following
these
oral
health
tips,
especially
throughout
the
holiday
season.
Eat
Halloween
candy,
and
other
sugary
foods,
with
meals
or
shortly
after
mealtime.
The
increased
amount
of
saliva
produced
during
mealtime
can
help
wash
away
food
particles
and
acids
built
up
by
bacteria.
Avoid
hard
candy
and
other
sweets
that
stay
in
your
mouth
for
a
long
period
of
time.
Although
harder
sweets
seem
like
quick
treats,
they
typically
remain
in
the
mouth
longer
than
other
types
of
candies,
which
increases
the
risk
of
tooth
decay.
Therefore,
it
is
important
to
keep
in
mind
the
length
of
time
it
takes
to
eat
a
piece
of
candy.
Drink
more
water.
Although
this
may
seem
unrelated
to
eating
sweets,
drinking
optimally
fluoridated
water
can
actually
prevent
tooth
decay.
Try
encouraging
children
to
enjoy
a
glass
of
water
with
their
Halloween
haul.
Chew
gum
that
has
the
ADA
Seal.
Believe
it
or
not
chewing
sugarless
gum
can
be
good
for
your
teeth
because
the
increased
saliva
flow
helps
wash
out
food
and
neutralize
the
acid
produced
by
dental
plaque
bacteria.
The
optimal
time
to
chew
gum
is
after
a
meal
for
around
20
minutes.
Clean
between
teeth
daily
with
floss.
Wouldn’t
it
be
nice
to
proudly
tell
your
dentist
how
often
you
floss?
Decay-­‐causing
bacteria
gets
between
teeth
where
toothbrush
bristles
can't
reach,
so
don’t
neglect
this
crucial
part
of
tooth
care.
Stay
away
from
the
sticky.
There
is
a
common
misconception
that
dried
fruits
are
better
for
your
teeth
than
other
sweets,
however,
dried
fruits
are
more
likely
to
stick
to
your
teeth.
“People
often
overlook
the
importance
of
brushing
their
teeth
after
a
meal,
and
the
holiday
season
is
no
exception.
However,
by
doing
something
so
simple,
you
don’t
have
to
be
among
the
66
percent
of
adults
with
visible
plaque,”
said
ODA
President
Lindsay
Smith,
DDS.
“As
long
as
you
remember
to
follow
good
oral
habits,
you
can
partake
in
all
of
the
holiday
sweets
and
goodies
without
worring
about
your
teeth.”

2.
The
Oklahoma
Dental
Association
is
dedicated
to
mitigating
the
harmful
effects
that
holiday
sweets
and
foods
have
on
dental
hygiene
by
providing
information
that
can
help
Oklahomans
and
their
children
keep
their
teeth
and
bodies
healthy.
The
Oklahoma
Dental
Association,
founded
in
1907,
has
a
membership
of
more
than
1,600
dentists.
The
Association
was
established
to
help
foster
an
awareness
of
the
obligations
and
responsibilities
of
the
dental
profession
to
society,
to
help
advance
the
art
and
science
of
dentistry
and
to
promote
public
health
and
health
services
in
the
State
of
Oklahoma.
For
more
information,
visit
www.okda.org.
#
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Editor’s
Note:
For
more
information
about
healthy
habits
for
families,
please
visit
MouthHealthy.org,
which
features
dental
health
topics
for
every
age
and
stage
of
life.
If
you
would
like
to
contact
an
ODA/ADA
member
dentist
about
oral
health,
please
contact
the
ODA
at
405.848.8873
or
e-­‐mail
tevans@okda.org.
Reporters
are
invited
to
follow
the
ODA
on
Twitter
@OklaDentalAssoc
and
Like
the
ODA
on
Facebook
@Oklahoma
Dental
Association.