Good oral hygiene is essential year-round, but we encourage you to make an extra effort during cold and flu season.
The cold wintery months are approaching, and your Vancouver dentist encourages you to protect your oral health this year.
- Stay Hydrated
- Use Sugar-Free Cold Meds
- Keep Up on Oral Care
- Change Your Toothbrush
- Visit Your Dentist After
- Stay Hydrated:
Tips for Cold and Flu Season
Viruses like the flu can cause fevers, which leads to dehydration. Of course, dehydration is bad for your systemic health, including your teeth. If you’re feeling under the weather, drink plenty of water to keep hydrated. You can also use a humidifier to moisten the air in your environment.
Sugar-Free Cold Medicine
The chemist is full of cold and flu medicines, but you should check with your doctor before choosing one. Some of these medicines are more effective than others. Also, choose a sugar-free cold and flu medicine to protect your teeth whenever possible.
Keep Up on Oral Care
Be sure to brush and floss as usual. If you have the stomach flu and experience vomiting, it’s important to rinse and clean your mouth thoroughly after these bouts. Stomach acid alone can damage your tooth enamel.
Change Your Toothbrush
After recovering from a nasty flu bug or other virus, we strongly encourage you to change your toothbrush. This will allow you to move forward with a clean slate.
Visit Your Dentist After
After you’ve recovered from your virus, especially a long or complex illness, it might be a good idea to schedule a checkup and teeth cleaning with the dentist. This allows us to uncover cavities early and clean any tartar from the teeth.
We Wish You a Safe and Happy Season
If it’s time for your next checkup and teeth cleaning in Vancouver, or if you have questions for our dental team, contact us at (604) 876-5032.