All of us fall sick, sometimes you have an upset stomach, and on a different day, you may suffer from a cold. Irrespective of the sickness we have, our oral health also suffers during these times. Therefore it is vital that while we take medication for our sickness, we should also take care of our oral health. Here are 5 oral self-care tips that will ensure your oral health doesn’t suffer when you are sick.
1. Isolate Your Tooth-Brush
In order to stop the spread of your sickness, you must keep your brush separate from the other brushes as they tend to accumulate bacteria, saliva, and blood. If the symptoms you have are infectious, you will contaminate the other brushes, and those using them will get sick too. Always clean and dry your brush before storing it. It is unlikely that you would re-infect yourself if you continue using the brush after you have recovered. However, it would be hygienic if you changed your brush once you recover from your illness.
2. Sugar-Free Medicines
If you are suffering from cough and cold, then it is likely that you would be prescribed cough syrup/drops. All the cough drops contain sugar or corn syrup, both of which are harmful to the teeth. The longer this sugar sits on your teeth, the more acid will be produced by the plaque bacteria. This causes erosion of the teeth. The more sugar we have (in this case, cough drops), the more cavity-causing bacteria will thrive. As an alternative, you can purchase sugar-free cough drops. Brush your teeth twice a day to keep them free of bacteria.
3. Avoid Dry Mouth and Drink Fluids
We generally have dry mouth when we are sick. Make sure you keep sipping some water to avoid bad breath. Dry mouth also causes tooth decay. The best way to keep yourself hydrated is to drink water. It is also one of the safest things to drink when you are sick. It regulates your body temperature and flushes out all the toxins. When we have a running nose, vomiting, fever sweats, then our body loses water. Besides water, you can also mix some electrolytes to the water to balance what has been lost by your body. Stick to sugar-free options because they cause cavities. Clear soup, caffeine-free tea, etc. are some good alternatives to the regular coffee or tea we drink.
4. Rinse Your Mouth Thoroughly After Vomiting
Vomiting causes enamel decay. Repeated vomiting can erode your enamel as our vomit contains stomach acid, which is bad for our teeth. Most of us like to brush our teeth immediately after we vomit; however, it may not be the wisest thing to do. Brushing spreads the acid, and it may hurt our teeth. Even the bristles can scrape a tiny amount of enamel that the acid may have softened it. Instead of brushing, you must just swish your mouth with water and then spit it. Brush your teeth at least an hour later.
5. Maintain Oral Hygiene
We may not feel energetic enough on certain sick days, but even on such days, you must brush your teeth twice a day. Flossing after meals should also be a part of your daily activities. Don’t change this routine to always have a set of a shining and strong set of teeth.
Even the healthiest person may suffer from oral problems, but that shouldn’t bother you because our team of experienced and caring dentists at The Glenroy Dental Group, Glenroy will take care of these issues. Our dentists are polite and compassionate! They provide personalized services to all patients. You can come and visit us at the address mentioned or give us a call to book an appointment:
The Glenroy Dental Group, Glenroy
Phone Number: (03) 9306 6511
Address: 483 Pascoe Vale Road Strathmore 3041
