Due to the COVID-19 crisis, dentists across the country have postponed all elective procedures, including cosmetic and preventive services, and are only offering emergency dental care. This has kept, and will continue to keep, many patients from being able to get a dental cleaning and checkup to ward off oral health problems. In order to keep your teeth and gums healthy while self-isolating until your dentist opens back up again, you can follow these four oral hygiene tips.
Stick To Your Regular Dental Hygiene Routine
You’re likely spending more time than you’re used to inside, which can change your daily schedule. However, there are certain aspects of your daily routine that you should make sure to keep unaltered, like when you brush and floss your teeth. When you let good oral habits slide to the backburner and you accidentally forget about them, it could result in your dental health declining, leading to problems like cavities and gum disease. If you’re having a difficult time self-isolating and sticking to your oral hygiene routine, you can set reminders on your phone or even put a sticky note on your bathroom mirror.
Maintain a Nutritious Diet
Many people don’t know that their daily diet can impact their oral health drastically, especially if it consists of processed snacks and sugary drinks. These products contain high amounts of sugar and carbohydrates, which harmful oral bacteria love to feed off of. If your mouth is constantly exposed to them, it can increase your risk of decay. Instead, try substituting a healthier alternative, like fresh fruits and vegetables.
Ease Up On Bad Oral Habits
Bad oral habits such as nail-biting and smoking can increase your risk of damaging your teeth or forming oral health issues. If you aren’t able to quit these habits, it’s a good idea to be mindful of them while you’re self-isolating and avoid doing them as best as you can. If you find that you do these when you’re stressed or anxious, try finding another coping mechanism, like working out in your living room or grabbing a stress ball.
Don’t Forget to Floss
Flossing between each of your teeth is one of the most important parts of your daily hygiene routine. In fact, when you floss, you’re cleaning about 30 percent of the surface of your tooth that a regular toothbrush isn’t able to get to. This helps drastically reduce your risk of developing cavities between your teeth by removing harmful plaque and food debris accumulation.
As your dentist is preparing to continue offering dental cleanings and checkups, it’s important for you to take care of your teeth and gums at home to prevent the development of oral health problems. This will ensure that when you are able to schedule an appointment again, you won’t have to treat countless cavities, or worse, gum disease.
About the Author
Dr. Rodney Allen has been providing high-quality preventive dental care for over 20 years. He takes pride in helping his patients improve and maintain their oral health with thorough checkups and cleanings every six months. He uses state-of-the-art technology in his practice to diagnose and treat oral health problems before they ever have a chance to progress into something serious. For questions or to schedule a checkup and cleaning, visit his website or call 720-851-6784.