As your Scarborough Dentist, it is important for us to give you information that can help you achieve optimal oral health. We may only see you once to perhaps 3 times yearly so educating you on what you can do for yourself and your family to maintain good oral health is one of our top priorities. Although cosmetic dentistry and smile transformations are what make up the majority of the treatments we do at Havenview dental, ensuring you can maintain your beautiful smile or help you move to your optimal oral health potential is important to us. In this blog, we will discuss some simple tips that will help you keep your mouth healthy over the summer months.
1. KEEPING HYDRATED
With summers being as busy as they are, we often don’t think about staying hydrated but this is so important not only for keeping your mouth healthy but also for overall health. Keeping your mouth hydrated over the summer has several important benefits:
- Prevents Dry Mouth:
- Maintains Moisture: Adequate hydration helps keep your mouth moist, preventing the discomfort and potential oral health issues associated with dry mouth.
- Promotes Saliva Production:
- Saliva’s Role: Saliva is essential for neutralizing acids, washing away food particles, and preventing tooth decay. Staying hydrated ensures adequate saliva production.
- Reduces Bad Breath:
- Freshens Breath: A well-hydrated mouth is less likely to harbor the bacteria that cause bad breath. Saliva helps wash away food particles and bacteria, keeping breath fresh.
- Improves Oral Health:
- Fights Bacteria: Saliva contains enzymes that help break down food particles and fight harmful bacteria, reducing the risk of cavities and gum disease.
- Enhances Comfort:
- Soothes Tissues: Proper hydration keeps the tissues in your mouth, including your gums and tongue, healthy and comfortable.
- Supports Overall Health:
- Systemic Hydration: Staying hydrated benefits your entire body, including your oral health. Dehydration can lead to systemic issues that may also affect your mouth.
- Aids Digestion:
- Initial Digestion: Saliva plays a crucial role in the initial stages of digestion by breaking down food and making it easier to swallow and digest.
- Boosts Energy Levels:
- Prevents Fatigue: Dehydration can cause fatigue and lack of concentration. Staying hydrated helps maintain energy levels and overall well-being.
- Protects Against Heat-Related Issues:
- Prevents Heat Exhaustion: Proper hydration helps regulate body temperature and prevent heat exhaustion and heatstroke, which are more common in the summer.
- Supports Skin Health:
- Healthy Skin: Hydration helps keep your skin, including the skin around your mouth, healthy and resilient against the harsh summer sun.
To keep your mouth hydrated during the summer, drink plenty of water, avoid excessive caffeine and alcohol, and consider consuming water-rich foods like fruits and vegetables. Always have a refillable water-bottle with you so you can fill up once you’ve finished. Perhaps getting a timed water-bottle will help you stay on track to ensure you are consuming enough water daily.
2. SPF LIP PROTECTION
Wearing sunblock is common practice during the summer months but it is also important to wear proper lip protection as well. The benefits of lip protection are:
Prevents Lip Sunburn:
- Sensitive Area: The skin on your lips is thinner and more sensitive than other parts of your body, making it more susceptible to sunburn. Lip balm with SPF protects this delicate skin.
Reduces Risk of Lip Cancer:
- Health: Protecting your lips with SPF can reduce the risk of lip cancer, which is a type of skin cancer.
Prevents Dryness and Chapping:
- Moisturization: Lip balms with SPF often contain moisturizing ingredients that prevent dryness and chapping, keeping your lips smooth and hydrated.
Maintains Lip Health:
- Healing: Regular use of lip protection helps maintain overall lip health, preventing cracks and sores that can be exacerbated by sun exposure.
The type of lip protection is also just as important as wearing lip protection. Here are some recommendations:
- Choose Broad-Spectrum SPF: Use a broad-spectrum sunscreen that protects against both UVA and UVB rays.
- SPF 30 or Higher: Opt for sunscreens and lip balms with an SPF of at least 30 for effective protection.
- Reapply Regularly: Reapply every two hours, or more often if swimming or sweating.
- Protect All Exposed Areas: Don’t forget areas like the ears, back of the neck, and tops of feet.
By incorporating SPF and lip protection into your summer skincare routine, you can enjoy the sun safely while keeping your skin and lips healthy and protected.
3. DON’T BITE ON ICE CUBES
With summer being as hot as it is, biting on ice cubes offers temporary relief from the heat. While it may be thought that this is harmless, it puts you at risk especially if you have had any cosmetic dental treatment or a smile transformation. Here are some of the consequences of biting on ice cubes:
Cracked or Chipped Teeth:
- Enamel Damage: Ice is very hard, and biting down on it can cause teeth to crack or chip, especially if the teeth are already weakened by decay or previous dental work.
Worn Enamel:
- Surface Erosion: The repeated crunching and grinding against ice can wear down the enamel, the protective outer layer of your teeth, leading to increased sensitivity and vulnerability to decay.
Tooth Sensitivity:
- Nerve Exposure: Damaged enamel or cracked teeth can expose the dentin and nerves inside the teeth, causing pain and sensitivity to hot, cold, and sweet stimuli.
Gum Damage:
- Tissue Injury: Sharp edges of ice can injure the gums, leading to cuts, irritation, or even infections if bacteria enter the wounds.
Dental Work Damage:
- Weakening Restorations: Chewing on ice can damage dental restorations such as fillings, crowns, or veneers, leading to costly repairs or replacements.
Jaw Problems:
- Temporomandibular Joint Disorder (TMJ): The excessive force required to bite through ice can put strain on the jaw muscles and joints, potentially leading to TMJ disorders characterized by pain, clicking, or popping in the jaw.
Braces and Orthodontic Appliances:
- Breakage and Misalignment: Biting on ice can damage braces and other orthodontic appliances, hindering the progress of orthodontic treatment and requiring additional visits to the dentist.
Alternatively, you can find other ways to cool down. Instead of chewing on ice cubes, consider these alternatives to keep cool and hydrated:
- Cold Water: Sip cold water or flavored water to stay hydrated without risking dental damage.
- Iced Drinks: Enjoy beverages with ice cubes but resist the urge to chew on the ice.
- Frozen Fruits: Eat frozen grapes, berries, or other fruits that are softer and less likely to harm your teeth.
- Popsicles or Smoothies: These can provide a cool treat without the hardness of ice cubes.
4. WEAR A SPORTSGUARD OR MOUTHGUARD
In the summer months, there are plenty of sports being played more often because of the weather. With some of the more impact sports, it would be beneficial to wear a sportsguard or mouthguard. These are the activities that would benefit from wearing a sportsguard or mouthguard:
- Combat Sports: Boxing, martial arts, wrestling.
- Extreme Sports: Skateboarding, BMX biking, mountain biking.
- Recreational Activities: Rollerblading, baseball, volleyball.
- Contact Sports: Football, soccer, basketball, hockey, rugby.
It’s important to protect your teeth with a mouthguard or sportsguard because it will:
Prevent Dental Injuries:
- Impact Protection: A sportsguard or mouthguard cushions and absorbs impacts to the mouth, preventing chipped, cracked, or knocked-out teeth during sports and physical activities.
Protect Soft Tissues:
- Gum and Lip Safety: It shields the gums, lips, and cheeks from cuts and bruises that can occur during collisions or falls.
Reduce the Risk of Jaw Injuries:
- Jaw Stabilization: A properly fitted sportsguard can help stabilize the jaw, reducing the risk of fractures and other injuries.
Minimize the Risk of Concussions:
- Shock Absorption: By absorbing and distributing the force of impacts, a sportsguard can help reduce the severity of blows to the head, potentially minimizing the risk of concussions.
Maintain you existing Dental Work:
- Protection for Braces and Appliances: A sportsguard can protect orthodontic appliances, such as braces, from damage and help prevent injuries caused by these devices during sports.
By wearing a sportsguard or mouthguard over the summer, you can protect your teeth and mouth from injury, allowing you to enjoy physical activities with greater safety and peace of mind. To learn more about sportguards or mouthguards and what our office can do for you, click here.
5. BOOK YOUR ROUTINE DENTAL APPOINTMENT
In order to ensure that you are keeping your mouth healthy and also to prevent dental emergencies, routine dental care is required. Whether you have had minimal dental treatment or have had cosmetic dentistry or a smile transformation done, maintenance is key to keeping things at their best. It is sometimes easier to book appointments during the summer months because kids aren’t in school or teens are home from university. Don’t forget to schedule you and your family’s check-up and hygiene appointment. Your dental professionals at Havenview Dental look forward to helping you reach or maintain optimal oral health. Call us at 416-291-3117 to book your appointment today!
