Caring for Your Oral Health during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Jul 2, 2020 | Dental Information

Dealing with the effects of COVID-19 has been stressful and challenging for many people. This pandemic has disrupted our everyday routines, including our eating and drinking habits, which has affected our health and wellness as a result. If you feel like you are eating more frequently, consuming unhealthy foods or eating more carbs, you are not alone because this pandemic has had a negative effect on a lot of people.

Changes in your diet can lead to problems with your oral health, which is why it is very important to monitor this problem and get back on the right track. Unhealthy eating habits will have a negative impact on your oral health and can lead to cavities and other issues that you can prevent. Carbohydrates produce acid and when they are combined with the bacteria in your mouth, this becomes even more problematic. This type of acid will attack your teeth and will increase the possibility of cavities and other dental issues. For these reasons, it is important that you monitor the amount of carbs you consume and focus on, including proteins like nuts, meat and cheese into your diet. Incorporating these proteins in your meals and snacking on the right foods will help neutralize the acidity of your saliva and help you fight against its attacks.

Another important way of defending against these attacks is to maintain a good oral hygiene routine that must be done daily while you’re at home. If regular dental appointments are unavailable because of the pandemic, you must do everything in your power to care for your teeth and gums to ensure they remain healthy. The importance of a good oral hygiene routine cannot be emphasized enough because this will make a very big difference and help you maintain your beautiful smile. The pandemic has made it difficult to maintain many of our daily habits but oral hygiene is extremely important and something that must be done.

There are a number of things you can do to help reduce acid attacks, including making water your beverage of choice. This will have a positive impact because you will be eliminating sugary drinks that are harmful to your diet and teeth. Include protein or fats each time you eat and choose healthy snacks like fruits, vegetables, nuts and yogurt. Snacks like chips, crackers and granola bars should be eaten in moderation and you should limit the consumption of such foods. Make sure you brush your teeth twice a day for two minutes each session and don’t forget to floss. Use an antibacterial mouthwash and go through every step thoroughly so that you maintain good oral health, which will affect your overall health as a result.

Slipacoff Dental understands that self-isolation and working from home have affected your daily oral hygiene habits and are ready to schedule you for your next appointment. We have taken all the steps to ensure your dental care is provided in a very safe environment.  In addition, all our operatories are equipped with hospital grade air purification systems.   If you are looking for a family dentist in the Sarnia area, give our office a call now!