Dr. Jeff Ward inside Northwest Arkansas Pediatric Dentistry. Photo courtesy: NWA Pediatric Dentistry
By mid-December, sugar becomes part of the landscape.
It’s stacked in gas station aisles, poured into mugs, tucked into stockings and passed across dinner tables like tradition itself.
But inside Northwest Arkansas Pediatric Dentistry, the season doesn’t register as a dental emergency. According to Dr. Jeff Ward, a 50-year-old partner at the practice, Christmas doesn’t undo a year’s worth of good habits, or fix bad ones, either.
“One week out of the year isn’t what causes most cavities,” he said. “It’s what you’re doing the other 51 weeks.”
Dr. Ward, who co-owns the Fayetteville practice, said the holidays tend to get blamed for problems that have been quietly forming long before lights went up or trees went home.
Cavities, he explained, are built slowly through daily patterns, not from seasonal indulgence.
However, that doesn’t mean December is harmless.
Sugary drinks, especially sodas, remain the biggest threat this time of year. They’re acidic, constant, and often consumed without much thought. As for food, the real danger isn’t dessert itself but rather the exposure time.
“If something stays in your mouth a long time, that’s when it becomes a problem,” he said.
That puts certain holiday staples on the problem list. Suckers are among the worst offenders because sugar lingers. Similarly, candy canes keep sugar in the mouth where it shouldn’t be, too.
“If you suck on them, the sugar’s there the whole time,” he said. “If you bite them, they’re hard and sticky. Either way, they’re not good for your teeth.”
By contrast, foods like cookies, cake, chocolate, pie and even ice cream are considered safer; not because they lack sugar, but because they’re consumed quickly.
“Chew, swallow, rinse, move on,” he said.
Interestingly, dental emergencies don’t spike dramatically right after Christmas, as that surge usually follows Halloween, when sticky candies pull out fillings or loosen crowns. In December, broken teeth still happen; just sometimes for different reasons.
Cold weather creates its own hazards. One recurring scenario involves children walking without gloves.
“They put their hands in their pockets when they’re cold,” Dr. Ward said. “When they slip, they can’t catch themselves. They hit face-first and break a tooth.”For families trying to balance celebration with common sense, Ward’s advice is simple and realistic: Brush twice a day. Wear gloves outside. Keep sweets as treats, not habits.
“We don’t change anything at our house during the holidays,” he said. “We still eat pie, cake, all of that. The difference is we don’t let it extend past Christmas.”
That containment, he says, is key. The danger isn’t December. It’s when December becomes the new baseline.
Ignoring dental pain over the holidays can also quietly escalate problems. Sensitivity to cold or sweets often signals a cavity that can still be fixed with a simple filling. Throbbing pain usually means something deeper: nerve involvement, infection and the looming possibility of a root canal or even extraction.
“The sooner you catch it, the easier it is,” he said. “Waiting makes it bigger.”
Still, a short delay of a week or two typically won’t cause major damage. What causes long-term harm is ignoring warning signs entirely.
For a few weeks each year, habits either hold or they crack.
Like teeth, some might say.