Pandemic Routines for your Teeth

It is 2020 and the world is a little different this year.  The fact is that many of us are changing how we work, shop, and live.  The regulations for each state, county, and location are different and many people have literally changed their entire lives due to the pandemic.  What this has done is also changed up how we are eating, drinking, and socializing.  Which in turn has had drastic effects on our dental health.  Some of them are negative and some of them are rather positive, but depending on your personal focus it can go either way.  With all of the complicated things that are happening, I wanted to just jot down some simple routines, that most people can follow that may keep you from having extra dental emergencies and another trip out to the dentist. 

With many people working from home we have all found something out.  We are now more likely to be closer to our refrigerator than we were before.  This can be a great thing and also a problematic issue for those who find themselves eating and drinking more.  This means we are possibly more likely to be grabbing that soda, or eating something that may be detrimental to your dentalhealth.  That can mean that you need to actually only allow yourself to visit the kitchen or fridge at certain times.  If you need to set an alarm to allow yourself to visit it, then do it.  But having extra sugar or acid placed on your teeth throughout the day may be a big problem for your teeth.  If you are adding extra damage each day, it can really add up and you should try and limit the extra drinks and foods you are eating.  This may also keep those pounds off as well. 

Another way to help the food and drinking issue is to add in water to your daily diet.  Now many of us drink the right amount of water, but I am always finding myself needing to drink more water every single day.  So what I have done is added a water bottle to my routine.  Instead of drinking disposable water bottles, I added in a nice stainless steel bottle.  This is something that I refill each day and several times a day and it helps keep me hydrated.  This has some beneficial things that help your teeth. 

Water actually helps rinse off those harmful sugars and acids.  The drinking of water each day can really help improve getting those things off your teeth.  The bonus thing that drinking water does and along with keeping you hydrated is to help you create more saliva.  Being hydrated means your mouth is producing the right amount of saliva which is your body's natural cleaning solution.  This extra habit can really help you in the long run and keep you from visiting the dentist multiple times throughout the day.

 

I highly suggest also making sure your tooth brushing is happening and probably even more than normal.  I went to three brushings a day and I think that brushing right after lunch has helped protect me and my dental health more through the pandemic.  It has allowed me to keep the bacteria causing foods and acids off my teeth and lowered my plaque buildup and has kept my teeth brighter.