Oral Health Tips for the Summer
Keep your mouth clean and healthy all summer!
Your dental health is important throughout the whole year, but the excitement of summertime makes it easy to accidentally neglect your teeth.
Here are a few tips for keeping your mouth clean and healthy all summer:
1. Keep up with your dental hygiene.
Brushing twice a day and flossing (or using an interdental cleaner) once a day is the best thing you can do to keep your teeth and gums strong and healthy.
Many people consume more sugary foods and drinks as the weather gets warmer, so good oral hygiene is especially important during the summer months.
If you haven’t replaced your toothbrush in a while now is a great time to make sure you have a properly sized soft-bristled brush for you.
It’s also a great time to make sure you’re using a toothpaste that is working to protect your teeth.
2. Drink water.
It can be hard to stay hydrated in hot weather, so drinking plenty of water is essential for your dental hygiene and for your overall health.
When you’re dehydrated, your mouth doesn’t produce as much saliva. Saliva is super important as it washes away bacteria and food particles helping to prevent plaque buildup and keeps your mouth healthy.
3. Eat healthy foods.
It’s easy to adopt an unhealthy diet full of ice cream and summer foods, but you should try to incorporate healthy foods into your meals as much as you can.
Sugary foods can increase your risk of tooth decay. Stock up your kitchen with seasonal fruits and veggies instead, so you always have healthy snacks available. See below for our Popsicle recipe that won't harm your teeth!
**Xylitol can be a great sugar substitute for summer popsicles and drinks. Tastes like sugar but it stimulates saliva and doesn’t feed the bacteria that cause cavities. Ask us more if you want some suggestions on xylitol products. Reminder Xylitol is not safe for animals.
4. Protect your lips.
Most people know how important it is to apply sunscreen during the summer, but you should also protect your lips from sun damage.
Your lips don’t have as much melanin as the rest of your skin, so they’re more vulnerable to damage. You can buy lip balm with SPF, which will keep your lips moisturized and protected during the summer.
5. Visit your dental provider.
Ideally we like to see you twice a year unless you have been told otherwise, and the summer is a great time to schedule an appointment.
We will give you advice for staying healthy throughout the entire year, and will check for signs of tooth and gum damage or decay.
Regular dental hygiene visits can help keep your teeth clean and can help you discover dental problems early.
Call or message our office and we will be happy to find a time to fit you in.
Our Popsicle Recipe
Ingredients
Sliced fruit (add your favourites)
Kiwi
Mango
Strawberry
Peach
1 c Water
¼ c xylitol
Instructions
Place your favourite fruit combos into popsicle molds
Mix xylitol and water in a saucepan and heat over medium heat until xylitol is dissolved. Cool the mixture slightly. Add water to fill the molds
Freeze for at least 4 - 6 hours
