They say Christmas is the most wonderful time of the year, but that is certainly not the case for oral health. The way people consume food and drink over the festive season is not just bad news for the waistline, but for teeth as well.

Indeed, when one considers all the things that can happen over this period, the one thing less likely than a white Christmas is white teeth by the time the New Year comes around.

A list of dangers to oral health published by Dental Law highlights the threats. A particular shock can come with some specialised festive drinks with very high sugar content, but even sugar-free diet drinks can be a problem as artificial flavours are still acidic and can damage enamel.

Another thing you should avoid is excessive grazing between meals, an easy thing to do with all that party food lying around. This is because acid builds up every time you eat, so lots of snacks means lots of damage.

That alone is a good reason for investing in a new toothbrush as soon as possible (they should be changed every three months anyway, but maximising their effectiveness matters more now than ever).

Of course, you do need to bush the right way, as the Dental Law article notes. Brushing just after eating or drinking is a bad idea because your mouth has no time to recover from consuming acidic food and drink, while over-brushing can damage teeth and gums. In other words, you need to brush twice a day, but do it very effectively with a great toothbrush.