Without wishing to spoil any of your fun, these are the foods we see causing people trouble over the summer period and beyond – be forewarned, and just a little cautious, if your teeth are heavily filled and of a fragile nature!

The top four foods to take care of are hard nuts, pork crackling, peach, plum and cherry stones and chewy toffees.

Also beware of small bones in barbecue meat; if you catch a tooth which has a large fling, the filling could come out.

Remember, teeth are not tools – opening bottle tops with your front teeth is not a good idea.

Summer, in general, is a sugar fest so try to take it easy. Ask the children to clean their teeth after fizzy drinks and, remember, that with the merriment of cocktails and wines, watch where you are going. It’s wise to avoid falls that cause dental trauma.

On that note, if you do have an accident involving teeth it is best to register it with ACC as soon as possible. A visit to your dentist to record the injury and fill out the paperwork is essential in case future treatment is needed on the injured teeth. Sometimes problems arise long after the accident and it is more difficult to then attribute the problem to an earlier injury and claim ACC.

If you have dental pain and need temporary relief until you visit your dentist, oil of cloves used on the tooth and adjacent gum is helpful. Ibuprofen is a good medication to use for toothache as long as your stomach can tolerate this medication; if not use paracetamol or codeine.

If your tooth or filling breaks and leaves a sharp edge, try chewing gum over the tooth to make it temporarily smooth to your tongue.

And with that, here’s wishing you an eventless and painless holiday season in terms of your teeth!