With summertime here, it’s easy to let your oral care get pushed to the side. We’re busier and more active this time of year, so even though we all want to maintain a beautiful smile, it’s harder to do.
We hope to help you with this blog post, however. At Beaumont Family Dentistry, Dr. Takacs and the team want to help all our patients enjoy their best smiles. Besides delivering great dental care, we also make it our goal to keep you informed so you can maintain good oral health between visits.
That’s why we’re offering you a few ways you can keep your and your family’s smiles healthy this summer. Just because now is one of our most active times of the year, it doesn’t mean that your oral health should suffer.
If you have any questions, or if you’d like to make an appointment, just give us a call at one of our three locations:
- Beaumont: 859-223-2120
- Hamburg: 859-687-0975
- Leestown: 859-368-8260
Keep Your Teeth Where They Belong With a Custom Mouthguard
Many athletes and active people don’t realize the importance of wearing a mouthguard. The American Dental Association says that you’re 60 times more likely to suffer dental damage if you don’t wear mouth protection while playing sports. That’s an incredible number!
If you or your child are going to be active or play sports this summer, you owe it to yourself to get a professionally made mouthguard. We all know that participants in sports like hockey and football should wear mouth protection. However, baseball is also one of the sports most likely to cause damage to your teeth.
Soccer, lacrosse and even track and field can potentially damage your smile as well. In fact, any sport or activity where there is a flying ball or puck, contact between players, or frequent changes in direction creates an environment for potential dental damage.
With great custom mouth protection available from Beaumont Family Dentistry, there’s no need to put your pearly whites at risk. Our dentist will take impressions of your teeth so that we can have your new mouthguard made to exact specifications.
Because it will fit better, it will provide superior protection over store-bought appliances. It will also be more comfortable and last longer than so-called “boil and bite” mouthguards. You owe it to yourself and your smile to get the best protection possible.
Watch Out For Chlorine
Did you know that your neighborhood pool could potentially cause damage to your smile? Small amounts of water will inevitably end up in your mouth while swimming or playing. If the pool water is over-chlorinated, it can actually cause your teeth to stain or become overly sensitive. It can even begin to erode your tooth enamel, which your body is not naturally able to replenish.
However, you can take steps to avoid dental damage from chlorine. Go to a sporting goods store or recreational supply center and buy some pH strips. Test the pool water to see how acidic it is. Ideally, the water’s pH should be between 7.2 and 7.8. Anything below 7.0 is too acidic and could cause damage.
If adjusting the chlorination level is not an option, try to limit your time in the pool. Also, be sure to rinse your mouth periodically with fresh, clean water to help keep chlorine off your teeth. There’s no reason you should be able to enjoy the pool and keep your teeth healthy at the same time.
Remember to Brush & Floss
Being active this summer is no excuse to let your oral hygiene habits suffer. It can be easy to say, “I’ll just brush my teeth later on.” But then later on becomes the next day, and before you know it, you have plaque building up on your teeth and forming into hard tartar – which can only be removed at the dentist office.
If you’re traveling this summer, pack along trial-sized toothbrushes, paste, and floss. Remember to brush twice a day and floss at least once daily. Take time out to tend to your teeth so that they can keep serving you each day.
You may also want to invest in a dental emergency kit to put alongside your regular first-aid kit. Include in it some gauze, a small cup, mouthwash, a cold compress, and a small tooth storage container with some salt water in it. A little forethought and preparation now could save you some trouble later on.
These are just a few ways that you can keep your smile healthy this summer. If you have any questions about your oral health or if you need to schedule a checkup, call one of our three Lexington locations today:
- Beaumont: 859-223-2120
- Hamburg: 859-687-0975
- Leestown: 859-368-8260