Summer Side-Effects to your Oral Health

Hello!

Welcome to Summer!

There are so many reasons to enjoy summer – great food, drinks and activities.  However, many of our summertime favorites could cause issues with your teeth.  Here are some of the most common:

1) Acidic drinks like lemonade or other citrus fruit drinks can wear away tooth enamel, making it thinner over time.  The addition of sugar can also lead to decay.  While no one wants to give up something as wonderful as a tall glass of cool delicious lemonade, a good solution is to swish with water after consuming a glass instead of slow sipping all day long.

2) Snacks: Blueberries, blackberries, cherries, pomegranates and other brightly-colored fruits, while rich in anti-oxidants are potential tooth-staining culprits.  Again, rinsing well with water after eating helps a lot.  If your cocktails contain these stain-inducing berries, sip through a straw to keep from splashing your teeth with every swig.  Keep in mind that hot beverages stain worse than cold ones.  

3) Gap-fillers: Foods like corn-on-the-cob getting stuck in your teeth can be more than just a nuisance, it can force teeth to separate, creating gaps that attract more food to collect.  Wedged food can lead to tooth decay.  Be sure to floss immediately, and be especially wary of hard seeds and nuts, popcorn and dense meats like steak.   

4) Sticky Foods: BBQ sauce, S’mores and taffy are all sticky and loaded in sugar.  Bacteria thrive in an environment that contains sugar.  The stickiness allows the sugar to remain attached to the enamel for longer periods of time.  Again, drinking water is a good idea to flush the area. 

5) Pool water Chlorine damages tooth enamel and bonding work by drying them out and stripping essential minerals.  Regular swimmers may want to keep their mouths closed in the pool, and the ocean as well.  Salt water can dry the mouth, slowing the flow of saliva.  Again, a fresh water swish will help wash out the chemicals and salt and get the saliva flowing.

Basically, the bottom line is to enjoy those summer goodies, but do so sensibly:)

Happy Summer!!!

Your friends at Brunner Family Dental

 

I’d like to thank Amanda Schupak for the above information excerpted from her article “Are Your Teeth Under Attack?” on YouBeauty.com