Maintain Oral Health during the Winter Months
Oral Health Tips You Can Use this Winter
The cold weather brings a lot of changes not just to the outdoors, but also to our overall health. Many of us are very prone to getting colds and sicknesses during the winter months. Often time, when our noses are stuffed and congested, we resort to breathing through our mouths – while this is not good for our throats, it is also not very good for our oral health. Breathing through the mouth can often trigger oral sensitivities that could potentially lead to bigger problems.
Here are some tips to help keep your mouth in tip top oral health during the winter months.
Stay Hydrated
Everyone should know the general rule of thumb is the body needs eight glasses of water a day in order to stay in the best possible health. But, did you know drinking enough water is also important for your oral health? Drinking enough water helps to rinse out the mouth and helps it to retain moisture, which will keep bacteria from taking over. Dry mouth often leads to oral infections, so staying hydrated can help to keep the mouth helping while also relieving dry mouth discomfort.
Practice Good Oral Hygiene
As in any season of the year, it is important to practice proper oral hygiene during the chilly winter months. Make sure to always brush twice a day and floss regularly to keep teeth and gums healthy. If you are suffering from teeth sensitivity during the winter, consider switching to a softer bristle toothbrush and brushing teeth more gently – aggressive brushing with a hard brush will only cause teeth to become more sensitive and make you more uncomfortable.
Stay Warm
While teeth are hard, they are not immune to the extreme cold weather we can sometimes experience during this time of year. It is also possible for teeth to expand and contract if there is too drastic of a fluctuation in temperature – this has the potential to cause hairline fractures in the teeth. In order to avoid problems with the temperature outside, limit how much time is spent in the cold and when staying inside is not an option, always bundle up and keep as much body heat inside as possible.
While our skin and our immune system can suffer in the winter, so can our teeth, which is why it is so important to make sure to practice regular oral hygiene and follow these simple tips to help keep your gums and teeth healthy this winter and all year round.
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