Summer is the season for fun and adventure, so you should be sure to watch out for your teeth during all that activity. While days out by the pool, enjoying all kinds of frozen treats, and partaking in contact sports can be a blast, they also carry risks of dental injury. Read on to learn some tips for protecting your teeth while having your summer fun!
Get a Mouthguard
Sports are a great way to get exercise and build team skills, but they don’t exactly have the best track record when it comes to dental injuries. To make sure your smile is protected as you impress with your skills on the field, get a mouthguard from your dentist. Better than the store-bought varieties, mouthguards from a dental professional are custom fit to your unique smile and can prevent all sorts of sports-related tooth injuries.
Be Careful Around the Pool
Swimming brings good exercise and a blast of fun for all ages. While everyone knows to be careful of slipping and falling around the pool, you should also know that the water can be harsh on your teeth if it is slightly acidic. To keep things basic, make sure the pH balance is between 7.2 and 7.8 before taking a dive.
Watch Your Sugar Intake
Summer is known as the season for some excellent foods. However, popsicles, popcorn, and candy can take their toll if consumed without moderation and proper hygiene. Bacteria reproduce rapidly when they have an ample food source, and the high levels of sugar and starches in some iconic summertime snacks can leave them a buffet on your teeth. A few distinguished culprits you should watch out for are:
Sugary drinks and slushies
Soda, juice, and sports drinks can be fun beverages, but they also carry a payload of sugar and acid, and while everyone loves a good snow-cone, the syrup that flavors the shaved ice is literally nothing but liquid sugar. Don’t let these special treats become a staple of your diet and swish some water around your teeth after drinking them to wash the residue away.
S’mores
Many people have great memories of sitting around a campfire while pushing melted marshmallow and chocolate together between graham crackers. Unfortunately, this sticky sweet treat is one of the best ways to coat your teeth in bacteria-breeding sugar. You can have one but be sure to brush before bed!
Popcorn
It might be crunchy, buttery, salty, and a great compliment to a blockbuster movie, but popcorn is full of starch and the kernels and hulls can be too much for your enamel to handle. More than one member of the audience has cracked a tooth while chomping on this summertime favorite.
We all love summer and we all love our smiles. Just be sure to practice sports and pool safety and stick to a sensible summertime diet, and your smile should look just as good next summer.
About the Practice
Advanced Dental Concepts provides complete dental care for the community of Chesterton, IN. Led by Drs. Danny Hayes, DMD, and Uyen Vu, DDS, the staff brings decades of experience to serve patients with the highest standards of quality and compassion. Services include preventative, restorative, cosmetic, and emergency dentistry. For more information on keeping your smile safe for the summer, contact the office online or dial (219) 926-7595.