If you’re like many of us, you love the summer months. It’s a time to gather with friends and celebrate outdoors. However, warm weather can harm your smile’s health, so your dentist in South Austin wants to share a few tips to help protect your teeth and gums during the warmer months.
Tips to Protect Your Smile During Summer
- Keep Yourself Hydrated — Sweating and exertion, especially in hot weather, deplete hydration. This is detrimental to the body and also impacts oral health. A dry mouth contributes to tooth decay by allowing tartar to remain on teeth. We recommend drinking at least eight glasses of water daily. Water is always better than acidic fruit juice, sports drinks, and sugary soda.
- Remember to Rinse — If you’re at a barbecue and indulging in sweet sauces, desserts, and sugary drinks, try to clean your teeth soon afterwards. If you don’t have access to your toothbrush and floss, rinse your mouth to help neutralize debris and protect your teeth.
- Add an Additional Oral Hygiene Session — Summer is often a time for indulgence. If you’re consuming a lot of sweets or other foods and drinks that can harm your tooth enamel, consider brushing and flossing after every meal instead of just twice daily. We also encourage you to clean your teeth thoroughly before bed.
- Forgo Chewing on Ice Chips — Chewing on ice chips (even flavored ice chips) is popular during summer. However, hard objects can damage the teeth, causing chips and fractures. This is true even if your teeth are perfectly healthy.
- Consider Sugarless Gum — This tip relates to hydration. If you can’t get a drink of water right away, try chewing sugarless gum to stimulate the salivary glands. Saliva helps hydrate the mouth and wash debris from teeth and gums.
Is It Time for Your Dental Checkup in South Austin?
Kick off your summer with a checkup and teeth cleaning in our dental office. Call a team member today at (512) 394-7989 to get started.