It’s the middle of summer, and all across the country temperatures are hitting record highs. For most people, that has several effects on the way that they take care of their health—as it turns out, the same is true for your oral health.
Protecting your teeth as temperatures start to rise involves a few special considerations. Here are a few things you may want to keep in mind this summer.
Stay Hydrated
One hazard you might run into this summer would be dry mouth. Your saliva is actually vitally important to your oral health; it’s responsible for breaking down food particles and carrying them into the stomach, where they can be digested fully. Without it, that food just sits in the mouth feeding bacteria.
For that reason, it’s important to stay hydrated. Drinking lots of water can wash away that excess food and stimulates saliva production.
Avoid Sugar This Summer
As temperatures rise, there are all kinds of sugary foods that become a lot more tempting. Popsicles, ice cream, sports drinks, and smoothies are all great ways to cool off, but indulging too much in them can leave you with serious oral health problems by the time summer is over.
While you should be able to have some of these foods here and there, you shouldn’t make a habit of eating them. When you do decide to enjoy them, be sure to follow that up with thorough brushing.
See Your Dentist This Summer
If you’re out of school for the summer, you have a little bit more free time. Under normal circumstances, it may be hard to find time to make it to the dentist for your regular checkup. That’s why you should use the time you have now to have them look at your oral health.
Your dentist will be able to check you for any problems with your teeth and can clean them in places you can’t normally reach by brushing alone. If you haven’t been in a while, now’s as good a time as any to pay them a visit.
About Our Practice
Welcome to the practice of Mark Gray DDS! We know that it can be hard to find a dentist you can trust, which is why we focus on making our practice as comfortable for our patients as we possibly can. We’ve even recently updated our office to include all the latest accommodations so that you can get all the high-quality dental care you need under one roof.
If you have any questions about how to protect your oral health this summer, we can be reached at our website or by phone at (281) 493-9395.