The summer in Texas can be brutal, particularly as we approach August. To protect yourself, you need to wear sunscreen when outdoors, and stay hydrated too. But staying hydrated can also help safeguard your teeth from the onset of cavities. In today’s blog, your Dallas, TX, family dentist talks about how you and your family can help keep your smile healthy and hydrated all summer long, and limit your risks of cavities and periodontal issues in the process. We can all take steps to help safeguard the health of our smiles and keep them bright, shining, and healthy all year around!
Dry Mouth and Tooth Decay
Our saliva helps cleanse our mouth of stray food particles and bacteria. But dry mouth could provide opportunities for bacteria to flourish, a complication linked to plaque buildup and with it, weakened outer enamel and inflamed gum tissues. Your smile is now at a higher risk of tooth decay and gum disease! When we’re working out and being active, this often causes dry mouth, especially during the summer heat. Staying hydrated means you counteract dry mouth and also protect your smile from dehydration, which can cause aches, pain, chills, and exhaustion. So, if you’re going to be active, be sure you stay hydrated too! If you have dry mouth caused by other tissues, you can talk to our team about possible solutions. Often, simple actions like chewing a sugar-free gum can help the production of saliva to keep your smile healthy and avoid major complications from developing.
In addition, we would like to remind anyone playing full contact sports or martial arts to always wear a mouthguard. Our team can provide a custom-made option to wear and lower the risk of teeth becoming chipped, cracked, or knocked out or loose.
Beware Sports Drinks
Sports drinks are popular among kids and adults alike, because they do provide electrolytes and are tasty. But they also have a highly acidic content and sugars. When you drink them to replenish your electrolytes when working out, this means your dry mouth is soothed with sugars and acids that coat the teeth and increase the risk of cavities. We recommend limiting how many you drink, and following them up with water to help control the impact of sugars and acids, and safeguard your smile. You should also be aware of energy drinks, fruit juices, and sodas, as they also contain more sugar than you realize, and could potentially cause trouble for you or your child’s overall oral health. As far as snacks, try to avoid dried fruit, candies, snack cakes, and chips, as again, these contain ingredients that put a smile at risk. Encourage fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grain breads and cracks, sugar-free gum, low fat yogurt, cheeses, and other smile-healthy options. We can offer a few suggestions too, so ask away!
The Benefits of Water
Water contains no harmful sugars or acids. When you drink it, it helps cleanse your mouth of stray food and drink particles, and helps keep you hydrated and active. H20 is simply good for your smile and your overall health. But it also has an additional benefit: fluoride. In most communities in our country, water contains a safe and effective amount of fluoride, a naturally occurring mineral that helps strengthen the outer enamel to lower the risk of cavities in people of all ages. When you drink tap water, you help safeguard your smile. You can also safeguard your smile with a fluoride toothpaste too, strengthening your smile as you brush your teeth.
Summer Checkups
You should consider making a checkup and cleaning appointment this summer! This is good for your whole family, and your children don’t have to miss out on school or fall behind. A checkup is a chance for our team to examine your smile with digital imaging systems, so we can offer a diagnosis with precision and accuracy. We then treat any issues we discover to restore the health, function, and beauty of your smile. In the same visit, our team will also clean your teeth. A dental cleaning will remove all plaque and tartar buildup with an ultrasonic scaling device and a manual pick. This not only fights bad breath and teeth stains, but lowers the risk of tooth decay, gingivitis, and gum disease. We can also discuss applying a preventive fluoride gel to help protect the teeth for kids and adults alike. Dental sealants, or a plastic coating we add to the rear teeth, can help protect the most vulnerable part of a child’s smile, and can stay in place for up to ten years in some cases.
Better Home Care Habits
Summer break often means laxed oral health habits for the family. The sudden lack of school for your children means more snacking, more soda, and often, less brushing and flossing. You should encourage your children to drink plenty of healthy fluids, like water, during these scorching days. Also, be sure they continue to brush twice a day and floss every evening jst as they did during the school year. These actions can help them enjoy good oral health and a brighter smile. If issues do arise, such as toothaches or bleeding gums, then schedule an appointment right away for treatment. We would love to help you and your kid enjoy optimal oral health all summer long. If you have any questions or concerns about our treatment options, then contact our team today to learn more. A stunning smile is always possible, and we’re here to help families in Dallas, Richardson, and surrounding communities.
Your Dallas, TX, Dentist Wants You To Enjoy a Healthy Summer Smile
Our team understands that the summer months can pose unique risks to our smiles, and want to help you avoid them. For more information on how we treat oral health issues with preventive and general dental care, then please schedule a consultation by calling the Viva Dental Family Dentistry office nearest you at (214) 337-7800 (Dallas) or (972) 437-6000 (Richardson). Our team wasn’t you and your family to limit your risk of tooth decay and periodontal issues all summer long.
