Healthy Teeth over the Summer

Healthy Teeth over the Summer

It’s the great British summertime – a perfect time for barbeques, hitting the beach and spending long sunny days with your friends and family. The summer can also be a great time for your health too, with sunlight providing you with plenty of vitamin D, which plays an important role in your immune system by assisting in the activation of infection-fighting cells.

Summertime also gives your oral health a massive helping hand too, as vitamin D helps keep bones and teeth healthy. Research has even suggested that it can help prevent gum disease.

But there are also some downsides for your oral health when summer rolls around. As you head out and about during summer, its important you know how to look after your mouth.

Here are our five top tips you need to know to help look after your mouths needs during the beautiful British summertime:

  1. Lip Service: Your lips are incredibly sensitive to the sun but are often overlooked when people put on sunscreen. The skin on your lips is very thin and easily prone to sun burn which can lead to some forms of cancer. Protect yourself with a sunscreen made especially for your lips. Look for product with 30spf or above and make sure to apply regularly.
  2. I-scream: Reaching for an ice-cold treat is a great place to cool down on a hot day but if you suffer from sensitive teeth can be incredibly painful. If you suffer from sensitive teeth you could opt for a toothpaste for sensitive teeth which can help limit the pain. If you have sensitive teeth, perhaps an ice-cream isn’t the way to go. Try some healthy alternatives like fresh fruit and vegetables.
  3. Must be sugar free: Sugar is the enemy when it comes to your oral health, causing tooth decay, and soft drinks are one of the worst offender, especially if you sip on one over the course of a hot day. Water is really the only choice to keep you hydrated and refreshed on the long summer days and it does no damage to your mouth at all.
  4. It’s a knock out: Sports go hand-in-hand with summer as people want to get outside and be active. But with many summer sports, there is always a danger of something going wrong and you could end up cracking or losing a tooth. Wearing a mouthguard can help reduce this risk and keep your smile safe all summer long.
  5. Opening time: Last but certainly not least, please don’t use your teeth as tools. Opening bottles, packets or holding things in your mouth can rapidly increase your chances of an accident and causing permanent and often painful damage to your mouth.

If you have any concerns regarding your oral health or changes in your mouth, please contact our private dentist in Liverpool.  We will be happy to discuss your concerns with you and we will provide  you with a thorough check up.

Article compliments of Oral Health Foundation.