5 More Tips for Good Oral Health While Social Distancing
We previously shared 7 Tips for Good Oral Health While Social Distancing. These tips are easy ways to keep up your oral health while we all stay home to help slow the spread of COVID-19. You can read the original tips here. With our offices remaining temporarily closed until at least April 30, we’re back with 5 additional tips that you and your family can do right now to promote good oral health.
- Make sure you’re getting enough Vitamin D. Vitamin D helps to keep your teeth and gums strong. Depending on where you live, you may or may not currently have the luxury to get outside as much as you would like to soak up Vitamin D from the sun. The good news is that you can receive Vitamin D from many foods like tuna or salmon, and cheese and egg yolks. And some beverages like milk and orange juice often come fortified with Vitamin D. Make sure to check the label.
- Increase the power of fluoride. Fluoride works with your body’s natural defenses to help strengthen your teeth enamel and fight off cavities. We often get our fluoride from tap water and toothpaste that includes fluoride. But many of us mistakenly rinse off the fluoride we receive too soon. For example, if you are using a mouthwash right after you brush, you are rinsing away a lot of the fluoride that you just got from brushing your teeth. Instead, give that fluoride some time to work its magic. It’s easy to do. Just wait 15 minutes before rinsing with a mouthwash, eating, or enjoying a beverage.
- Find a good angle. When you brush your teeth, the position of the bristles is important. Your toothbrush head should be at a 45-degree angle near your gum line. Continue with this angle when you clean the inside surfaces of your teeth and gums. Always brush using a circular movement. And keep it going for a full two minutes. If you are using a power toothbrush, that’s even better. They have been shown to improve plaque removal.
- Brush more than your teeth. Plaque and bacteria can gather on more than your teeth. They find their way unto your tongue, gums, and the roof of your mouth. Take a full mouth approach and make sure you are cleaning these areas as well. When cleaning your gums, keep that 45-degree angle and take care to brush gently and use short strokes. Don’t scrub. Your gums can recede from too much force.
- These teeth are made for eating. Emergencies are never fun, especially when you are social distancing. Skipping the scissors and using your teeth to rip off price tags from new clothing has sent many people to the dental chair. Other big no-no’s to avoid include opening up plastic packaging, or potato chip bags with your teeth, or even worse, using your teeth as a bottle opener. All of these activities can easily lead to cracks or chips in your teeth. Remember, your teeth are not designed to be tools. Using them for ripping, tearing, or opening is very hard on your pearly whites.
While we all stay home to help each other move past COVID-19, make sure to take some time to look after your teeth and gums. Your oral health is very important to your overall health.
We look forward to caring for you in person soon.
We previously shared 7 Tips for Good Oral Health While Social Distancing. These tips are easy ways to keep up your oral health while we all stay home to help slow the spread of COVID-19. You can read the original tips here. With our offices remaining temporarily closed until at least April 30, we’re back with 5 additional tips that you and your family can do right now to promote good oral health.
- Make sure you’re getting enough Vitamin D. Vitamin D helps to keep your teeth and gums strong. Depending on where you live, you may or may not currently have the luxury to get outside as much as you would like to soak up Vitamin D from the sun. The good news is that you can receive Vitamin D from many foods like tuna or salmon, and cheese and egg yolks. And some beverages like milk and orange juice often come fortified with Vitamin D. Make sure to check the label.
- Increase the power of fluoride. Fluoride works with your body’s natural defenses to help strengthen your teeth enamel and fight off cavities. We often get our fluoride from tap water and toothpaste that includes fluoride. But many of us mistakenly rinse off the fluoride we receive too soon. For example, if you are using a mouthwash right after you brush, you are rinsing away a lot of the fluoride that you just got from brushing your teeth. Instead, give that fluoride some time to work its magic. It’s easy to do. Just wait 15 minutes before rinsing with a mouthwash, eating, or enjoying a beverage.
- Find a good angle. When you brush your teeth, the position of the bristles is important. Your toothbrush head should be at a 45-degree angle near your gum line. Continue with this angle when you clean the inside surfaces of your teeth and gums. Always brush using a circular movement. And keep it going for a full two minutes. If you are using a power toothbrush, that’s even better. They have been shown to improve plaque removal.
- Brush more than your teeth. Plaque and bacteria can gather on more than your teeth. They find their way unto your tongue, gums, and the roof of your mouth. Take a full mouth approach and make sure you are cleaning these areas as well. When cleaning your gums, keep that 45-degree angle and take care to brush gently and use short strokes. Don’t scrub. Your gums can recede from too much force.
- These teeth are made for eating. Emergencies are never fun, especially when you are social distancing. Skipping the scissors and using your teeth to rip off price tags from new clothing has sent many people to the dental chair. Other big no-no’s to avoid include opening up plastic packaging, or potato chip bags with your teeth, or even worse, using your teeth as a bottle opener. All of these activities can easily lead to cracks or chips in your teeth. Remember, your teeth are not designed to be tools. Using them for ripping, tearing, or opening is very hard on your pearly whites.
While we all stay home to help each other move past COVID-19, make sure to take some time to look after your teeth and gums. Your oral health is very important to your overall health.
We look forward to caring for you in person soon.
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