As you enjoy another hot Louisiana summer, our Monroe dental office wants to give you some helpful tips for maintaining good oral health as you try to beat the heat.
Summer gives you all kinds of opportunities to have fun and make memories with people you care about. At Bayou Dental Group, we care about you, too, and want to make sure you have the tools to keep your family’s smiles as healthy as possible.
So here are some ways you can win the summer smile game!
Win The Oral Hygiene Game
One of the best parts about summer is being able to slow down a little bit and enjoy quality time with family and friends. Your schedule is probably already packed with all sorts of fun activities like baseball games, nights at the drive-in, or afternoons splashing around in the pool.
Just make sure to stay vigilant with your home oral hygiene routine. Even though it’s tempting to slack here and there on daily brushing and flossing, your commitment to these habits is one of your best defenses against problems like decay, cavities, and gum disease.
Win The Summer Vacation Game
Being away on summer vacation doesn’t have to interfere with your oral hygiene routine or your dental health. We offer two suggestions for your vacation planning:
- Be prepared for dental emergencies when you’re far from home. This means you have contact information stored in your phone for emergency dental services near the area you’ll be staying. A few minutes of online research before your trip can make all the difference when trying to save a knocked out tooth!
- Plan your dental procedure around your summer vacation. Taking care of that dental filling or that root canal before you leave will allow you enough time to heal and to follow up with Dr. Finley should complications arise. You should be able to enjoy your vacation free from pain or risk of a small problem turning into a big one!
Win The Fight Against Summer Smile Threats
While you’re out having fun in the sun, there are some things you need to know in order to protect your family’s smiles. Here are three common threats to your teeth and gums to be aware of:
- CHLORINE
Swimming sure is fun, and thank goodness for chlorine! It’s what makes pool water safe enough to swim in because it kills bacteria. But the acidity in swimming pool water has a downside. It can eat away at your tooth enamel, which can leave you more vulnerable to cavities, decay, and other oral health problems.
This doesn’t mean you need to avoid swimming pools altogether. Just make sure to brush your teeth after a day of splashing around with the kids!
- ORAL CANCER
Everyone knows about using sunscreen while you’re outdoors to protect yourself from skin cancer. But we don’t hear too much being said about the importance of protecting your lips. Your risk of oral cancer increases with too much sun exposure, so be sure to apply an SPF lip balm throughout the day.
- DEHYDRATION
Water plays an important role in your overall health. This is especially true during the summer when you’re spending more time out in the heat and losing more fluids than usual.
Stay well-hydrated to prevent dry mouth so your teeth are left without the protective coating of saliva. That’s right, while you’re having fun in the sun, your saliva is hard at work providing a protective coating on your teeth that helps ward off stains, tooth decay, and enamel erosion.
Win The Oral Health Game With Help From Bayou Dental Group!
Did you think we’d let you off the hook without reminding you to schedule a visit to our Monroe dental office? We love to see you and your family during your routine dental cleanings and exams. Our team is excited to hear about all your fun summer plans!
Trust your beautiful, healthy summer smile to Bayou Dental Group. Call 318-323-9303 or fill out our online form to request an appointment.