Holi, The festival of colors! Bhang and Gujhiyas are some of the  main attraction of this festival. Holi is celebrated with loved once with Happiness and joy by drenching each other in colors.

Use of the water splashes, water guns and balloons is very common but the aftermath can sometimes be unpleasant.

Here are few dental tips for safer and joyous Holi:

  1. Save yourself from all attacks on face.
  2. Keep your eyes and lips tightly closed  when attacked on face.
  3. Use mouth guards to save your teeth from unwanted stains.
  4. Wear anti slip footwear to prevent yourself from slipping on wet floor avoiding any dental injury.
  5. If using removable appliance such as a retainer / dentures, keep them at home preventing, injury, breakage, loss or staining of appliances.
  6. If you are having braces, wear mouth guard.
  7. Incase of teeth whitening on cosmetic filling, wear clear retainer.
  8. Restrict the intake of sweets and aerated beverages avoiding tooth decay.
  9. Do not brush directly after eating; Saliva being the natural defence against acid attack. Take an hour to replace the mineral that enamel looses brushing straight after eating  sweets brushes away the weakend surface.
  10. Rinse your mouth immediately incase of ingestion of colors followed by drinking water. If its too late drink cold milk.
  11. Incase of severe injury such as:
    1. Dislodged Tooth:
      • Hold the tooth from crown part and not from root part.
      • Wash if dirty, do not scrub.
      • Place the tooth in cold milk.
      • Immediately visit your dentist along with the tooth.
    2. Fractured Tooth:
      • Clean the site gently with clean gauze.
      • Give cold compression to reduce swelling.
      • Visit  your dentist.
      • Incase of severe bleeding rush to the nearest hospital.

WISHING YOU ALL A VERY SAFE AND SMILING HOLI.

Author: Dr Megha Malhotra