St. Patrick’s Day is quickly approaching. This Saturday millions of Americans will sport green t-shirts and drink green beer at their local pub. While drinking with your friends may be fun, you might be damaging your teeth. Dr. Randall LaFrom and our team offer some fun facts about St. Patrick’s Day and helpful tips for protecting your teeth this weekend.
St. Patrick’s Day Trivia
- St. Patrick is the patron saint of Ireland
- Born to a wealthy noble family, St. Patrick was British—not Irish
- Historical records show that St. Patrick was kidnapped and sent to work as a slave. After escaping from slavery, St. Patrick became a devout Christian and began proselytizing to the Irish who were mostly pagan at the time.
- Shamrocks are often used to represent the Irish. According to folklore, St. Patrick used the shamrock to explain the Christian concept of the Trinity to the Irish.
- The first St. Patrick’s Day parade was held during the Revolutionary War in New York City. Irish-American soldiers planned the parade to celebrate their cultural heritage.
Tips for Protecting Your Teeth on St. Patrick’s Day
Although beer may seem tasty, it is very acidic. Beverages and foods with a high level of acid damage your tooth enamel. Dr. LaFrom encourages patients to drink water in between beers to neutralize acid and rinse your mouth. Beer also contains sugar so it is important that you thoroughly floss and brush your teeth after drinking it. Chewing sugarless gum containing xylitol will also help keep your mouth clean. Chewing a piece of gum stimulates saliva production. Saliva helps rinse and dilute harmful particles in your mouth.
Our staff would like to wish all of our patients and readers a happy and safe St. Patrick’s Day. To schedule an appointment with our Cupertino dentist office, contact us at (408) 996-8595. We serve patients from Saratoga, Campbell, Sunnyvale, Cupertino, San Jose, and the neighboring Santa Clara County communities.
