Summer is a time to change our usual routines and that is why there is a risk that our patients do not pay the same attention to their oral hygiene as the rest of the year. In this article we will tell you some tips that you can pass on to your patients so that they do not suffer the consequences of losing healthy habits and so that summer continues to be a time to enjoy and rest, without having anything to regret. Let's start!.
What are the advantages of going to the dental clinic in summer?
We know! Going to the dentist is not one of the most desirable summer plans, however in these months a series of circumstances and dental problems arise that could push our patients to visit our dental clinic, for example: p>
- More availability of free time in both children and adults: This causes them to be encouraged to start or resume treatments that were pending months ago. In addition, the holidays for the little ones mean that they can attend the consultation with greater availability than the rest of the year with classes and extracurricular activities.
- Increase in plaque bacteria and appearance of dental caries: Spending time away from home, accompanied by poor brushing or none at all, can cause mouth of our patients symptoms as annoying as bleeding and inflammation of the gums, a proper diagnosis and treatment are of great help to avoid major problems.
- Gum problems: The remains of food that are not removed end up accumulating at the base of the teeth, forming tartar and plaque bacteria, which will lead to common diseases of this season such as gingivitis or periodontal disease.
- Appearance of halitosis: Poor oral hygiene, together with insufficient hydration can dry out the mouth and cause bad odor. Undoubtedly, one of the most annoying symptoms for our patients.
- Dental hypersensitivity : symptom par excellence at this time due to the abuse of cold drinks and ice cream.
What recommendations can we give to take care of oral health in summer?
Ideally, our patients should continue with an adequate dental hygiene routine; however, during these months it can be a bit difficult, so here are some of the tips you can offer them:
- Avoid excessive exposure to treated water: Abuse of chlorinated water, such as from swimming pools, can cause stains on the teeth. In addition, this can lead to the pathology known as "swimmer's tartar" that causes gingivitis or periodontitis.
- Protect yourself adequately from summer activities: It is possible that one of your patients practices or is going to practice swimming or diving during the summer, so it is necessary to prevent possible consequences, ailments and how to prevent it.
- Proper brushing after each meal: This always, but if this is not possible, recommend rinsing the mouth several times or chewing sugar-free gum or apple, thus trying to eliminate all traces of sugar from the teeth. However, we must make it very clear that chewing gum is not a substitute for tooth brushing.
- Consumption of foods recommended for teeth: There are foods such as apples and grapes that can help take care of our teeth naturally. In addition, we can protect ourselves from dental hypersensitivity with foods rich in calcium such as dairy products, eggs, fish, chicken, and beef; provide vitamin C and A and fluoride to strengthen teeth with foods such as orange and grapefruit; as well as foods that strengthen teeth and enamel such as carrots, bananas or spinach.
- Drink water much more frequently: not only to avoid possible dehydration, but also to help maintain salivary density that helps preserve teeth and gums.
- Do not abuse tobacco and alcohol: These are harmful throughout the year, but summer is the season prone to abuse them.
- Eliminate practices as common as chewing ice: This can be very harmful and cause fractures and dental fissures.
- Use of mouthguards in sports: Summer encourages many people to practice more joint sports, water activities and extreme activities, so the mouth can suffer from blows or dental fractures.
- Avoid abusing very cold and sugary drinks: Recommend the use of straws. Summer is the season par excellence for this type of cold drinks with high levels of sugar, which causes damage to the enamel and the appearance of dental sensitivity. The ideal would be to avoid these foods, but if they are to be consumed, at least with a straw to avoid direct contact or in a milder way.
Which products help care for oral health?
In addition to the tips above, there are certain dental products that we can offer to our patients so they can achieve proper hygiene wherever they are.
Portable Toothbrushes
It is important to always carry a small kit with what you need to brush your teeth: brush, toothpaste and dental floss. However, we know that it can be annoying or sometimes impossible to carry a toiletry bag with all the necessary material.
At Dentaltix we are aware of this problem, so among all our variety, we have toothbrushes that already incorporate toothpaste to avoid taking up too much space between the brush and the toothpaste. For example, Cavex Rush Brush, disposable toothbrushes with included mint-flavored gel toothpaste, individually packaged for convenience. We also have another good option available: Monoart toothbrushes, available in different colors and individually packaged.
Dental Floss
Flossing is just as important as brushing: Created to be used daily, it removes debris and plaque that adheres to the teeth and gums. Flossing helps polish the tooth and maintain it.
There are dental floss of different flavors, colors, for professional use and even specially indicated for people with gingivitis, cavities, orthodontics, bridges, implants; from brands such as: GUM, VITIS, Mirafloss, Oral-B, among others that you will find at Dentaltix...
Mouth Guards
As we have commented previously, a greater performance of physical-sporting activities such as skating or skateboarding can cause a risk of fractures or falls of teeth. Therefore, we can recommend the patient the mouth guard that best suits her needs. P>
We can make these in our dental clinic with thermoforming sheets or we can suggest Have the patient buy a standard one at a sports store or at a store specializing in the sport they practice.
As you can see, at Dentaltix we have everything you need to take care of the oral health of your patients at any time. You can find a wide variety in our section of dental products for patients, including:
- Boxes for prosthetics and orthodontics
- Electric toothbrushes
- Interdental brushes
- Mouth rinses
- Toothpastes
So far our post on oral health care in summer, we hope you liked it. Surely you have thought of more things to recommend to patients. We would love to hear your opinion! Can you tell us?
We invite you to keep an eye on our Blog and social networks if you want to be always up-to-date on the latest news about the dental sector. Thanks for reading us. See you soon!