When you think of October, a few key things come to mind—cold weather, pumpkin spice lattes, and candy, for example. While each of these things can be fun, they can all also be a problem for oral health. That’s why it’s a good thing that October is also Dental Hygiene Month. If you want to counteract some of the things that make October an oral health disaster, you should keep in mind these tips that can help you to improve your oral health.
Stay Hydrated Outside
As temperatures start to fall, the air outside gets to be considerably drier. If you’ve ever noticed that you need to apply and reapply lotion this time of year to keep your skin hydrated, this is part of the reason why.
The same applies to your mouth. Spending time outdoors when temperatures fall can lead to dry mouth, which means that you have less saliva to break down food particles in the mouth. This may sound like a small issue, but over time this may contribute to an elevated risk of gum disease.
To counteract this, you should be sure to stay hydrated when you’re outside this time of year.
Pumpkin Spice Smiles
There’s nothing like a warm cup of coffee on a cool fall afternoon, and while there’s nothing wrong with that in moderation, an excess of it can start to discolor your smile at a certain point. If you think that you’re drinking too much coffee, you may want to consider cutting back. At the very least you can start drinking coffee with a straw, which means that it’ll spend less time in contact with your teeth.
Be Picky About Sweets
With Halloween around the corner, it may seem like there’s candy everywhere you go. While obviously the best thing for your teeth would be to avoid sweets altogether, that advice may be a little hard to stick to.
If you do need to indulge, you might as well be a little bit choosy about which ones you eat. Sour, gummy candies are especially problematic for your teeth, so you may want to avoid those in favor of chocolaty sweets that can be washed away easily.
October can present plenty of hazards to your teeth, but if you keep these tips in mind, you’ll be able to keep your smile in good condition for a long time to come.
About the Author
Dr. Mike Christensen became a dentist because he wanted to help people, and he loves that his career affords him not only the ability to meet all kinds of people, but to provide them with care that will actually make a difference in their lives. Dr. Christensen received his dental degree from the University of the Pacific Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry, and since then has continued his education with the American Dental Association, Utah Dental Association, and Academy of General Dentistry.
If you have any questions about dental hygiene, we can be reached at our website or by phone at (907) 420-3938.