Oral Health Tips for a Healthy Mouth During Winter

Although the cold season may seem fun in theory, it can have a toll on your general health and oral health. From flu, cold, stiff joints, and dry skin, the winter weather remains a big health hazard for most people. The winter temperatures may also affect your lips’ delicate skin, resulting in dry and chapped lips. Moisturizing your lips and drinking water will keep you hydrated.

Common Oral Issues Suffered in Winter

Regardless of your ideal dental hygiene habits, weather sensitivity puts you at a greater risk of oral issues, especially if your oral hygiene practice is not at par. It is thus in your best interest to keep up with healthy oral habits that make your teeth and gums more resilient towards the common oral issues people suffer in winter.

Some of the most common dental ailments that people experience in winter include:

• Tooth sensitivity
• Dry mouth
• Tooth cracking
• Gum infection

Oral Care Tips for Your Gums and Teeth in Winter

It is your responsibility to maintain a good oral healthcare routine all year round and most so during the cold months. The following dental care tips will help you prevent common winter dental problems like dry mouth and tooth sensitivity. They are:

• Brush and floss

Dental experts recommend flossing before bed and brushing teeth twice a day with a standard soft-bristled toothbrush. This will help remove food debris and harmful bacteria from your dental grooves and depressions and prevent plaque buildup at your gum line. In addition, consider investing in a water-jet flosser or electric toothbrush to enhance your flossing and brushing. You should, however, note that tooth sensitivity can also be a sign of over-brushing.

• Use fluoride toothpaste for sensitive teeth.

If you experience sudden, sharp tooth pain when enjoying your favorite hot winter beverage, chances are that you have worn-down tooth enamel. When your enamel breaks down, the dentin layer beneath it becomes exposed, and when the dentin gets into contact with acidic, hot, or cold drinks and foods, it causes discomfort. The cold wind, air, and temperatures during winter can also make your teeth feel uncomfortable too.

At Fox Creek Dental by Espire Westminster, our dentist will recommend using a fluoride toothpaste for sensitive teeth in your dental care routine. The ingredients in this toothpaste helps protect the exposed dentinal tubules.

• Watch what you consume.

Dental practitioners advise that you avoid sugar-laden foods and sweets for optimal oral health because they accelerate dental decay. Drinks and foods that are too acidic are things to stay away from because frequent contact between the acid and your teeth will wear down the enamel, causing tooth sensitivity. Embrace foods rich in calcium, such as fat-free or low-fat milk, cheese, and fortified soymilk, because they help strengthen teeth and bones.

• Drink water in plenty

A dry mouth or xerostomia is a condition characterized by insufficient saliva production in the mouth. Medical treatments such as chemotherapy, radiation, and certain medications can cause xerostomia. The cold, dry winter air may worsen this condition, so ensure you stay hydrated.

• Keep warm

When walking out during winter, put on something warm like a jacket, especially if you have a TMJ disorder. When experiencing colder weather, it is normal for your muscles and joints to tense up. Keeping warm will help minimize your jaw pain as it reduces the tightening or clenching of the jaw area.

• Schedule regular appointments with your dentist

For you to have healthy gums and teeth, you need to maintain regular visits to a dentist near you in Westminster, CO. Exposing your teeth and gums to the harsh weather may result in various oral ailments that a dentist can detect during your checkup visit, and treat.

• Limit your intake of hot chocolate

Most people love sipping a cup of hot chocolate now and then during the winter season, but its sugar content can cause damage to your teeth. If you love this drink, consider having the sugar-free version because it is much healthier, or prepare the chocolate with milk so that your teeth benefit from its calcium. The same advice goes to tea lovers, too; normalize having tea with zero sugar.