Are you getting your feet all freshly pedicured and ready for open-toed summer shoes? Or, are you making extra efforts towards getting beach-body ready? Regardless of what your summer plans are, don’t forget about showing off your smile. The overall health of your teeth should be a priority all year. However, there are specific steps you can take during the summer to help ensure you’re putting your best smile forward. From good oral hygiene practices to healthy dietary choices, keeping the following tips in mind will ensure your oral care remains on point. So, take a peek at this information from OMSH while you enjoy those lazy-hazy days of summer!
#1 Practice Good Dental Hygiene
In case you didn’t know, oral care and good hygiene practices are an essential aspect of your overall health. As the gateway to the body, the mouth serves many vital functions. Yet, good dental hygiene helps promote health and wellness in several ways.
Regular brushing and flossing twice daily, for example, is the best oral care regimen for preventing plaque and bacteria build-up. Fluoride toothpaste and rinses are also vital in maintaining and building your tooth enamel and preventing tooth decay. Furthermore, regular checkups and cleanings are also critical to promoting and maintaining good oral health.
#2 Make Healthy Dietary Choices
Most people still do not make the connection between what they eat and drink and how it affects oral care. As a matter of fact, there are things that we should eat, and things that we shouldn’t eat. Read on to learn more…
Eat & Drink These Things
If you want to maintain a bright and healthy summer smile, don’t hold back on eating healthy whole foods. Leafy greens and other fresh fruits and veggies are a sure-fire winner with your pearly-whites! Whole fruits and vegetables provide multiple health benefits for your teeth and body. For instance, when you eat a raw apple or enjoy a nice green kale salad, your mouth gets a great workout. At the same time, your teeth get a power-packed dose of healthy vitamins and minerals to keep them strong and functional.
If you need a great drink to stay cool in the summer, always go for a nice tall glass of water. Water is by far the best thing for your teeth and body. If you desire a little zing with your water, feel free to add a slice of fresh lemon to help with digestion. Water refreshes, it cleans, and it replenishes your mouth and body. So, limit fruit juices as much as possible because they contain lots of sugar.
Highly Limit or Avoid These Things
When it comes to what we put into our mouth, those acidic, sugary, and hard sticky foods can wreak havoc on our teeth. Not only do they contribute to tooth decay and increasing cavities, but they can also cause dental injuries. Hard sugary sweets and various acidic drinks can weaken tooth enamel and cause our teeth to become brittle. So, if you can avoid these types of foods and carbonated beverages, do so at all costs; or at least limit them considerably.
#3 Consider the Following…
On a side note, we had to be sure to mention how using excessive tobacco products, various drugs, and drinking alcohol can also ruin your smile. During the summer months and all year-round, you should keep the following information in mind…
Tobacco Use
For those who are still not aware, cigarettes and other tobacco products can cause tooth decay, tooth loss, and various forms of oral cancers. Studies continue to show mounting evidence, according to the Oral Cancer Foundation.
Drugs & Medications
Likewise, illicit drugs and even some medications that physicians prescribe can also affect our oral health. If you take medications that can harm your teeth, speak with your doctor and dentist about ways to maintain oral care. Furthermore, if you’re dealing with other drug-related issues, it’s important to get help as soon as possible.
Alcohol
Similar to drinking coffee, certain alcoholic beverages can stain teeth. However, unlike coffee, alcohol can also eat away at your tooth enamel. Most mixed drinks, wines, and champagnes can be high in sugar and calories. This is why dental practitioners will recommend that you limit alcohol intake, and be sure to drink water and brush and/or rinse your mouth after drinking.
#4Â Soak Up Some Summer Sun, But Not Too Much!
Playing in the sunshine is an essential summer requirement, but did you know it’s also good for your teeth? Natural sunlight is loaded with Vitamin D, which helps promote bone health; this includes your teeth! Our body doesn’t readily produce vitamin D, and that’s why we rely on the sunshine to help us create what we lack. If you have deficient amounts of Vitamin D, your teeth can pay the price in terms of strength and overall health. So be mindful how much Vitamin D you are putting into your body.
#5 Make Your Routine Oral Care Visit Before Fall
Part of the magic of summer is that we can sometimes throw caution to the wind. Yet, when it comes to our health, the body doesn’t change its needs because we’re on vacation or because it’s a new season.
This means we should also be mindful to make a visit for a routine oral examination. Just because it’s summer doesn’t mean that our need for a 6-month check-up goes away. One key factor in maintaining oral care is to see your dental practitioner regularly.
However, if you have a dental emergency, need an extraction, or oral implant surgery, you should consider seeing the dental physicians of OMSH. Connect with us for an initial consultation or to learn more about our Houston oral surgery services. Call us at 832-509-4505 for immediate assistance and information.
