Welcome to summer! It’s time for beach trips, campouts (at home or your local park), trips to see distant friends and relatives, and other types of fun in the sun. The break from normal responsibilities and the daily grind is a welcome relief for everyone. Don’t let your oral health slide, however, or you’ll end up in our Gardena office getting dental work when you could be at the beach.
Here are some dos and don’ts our staff put together to help keep your smile bright this summer.
Do: Keep up with your standard oral hygiene routine. Make sure you brush twice a day and floss at least once a day. Continue using mouthwash if you normally do so. Try to brush your teeth more often if you attend parties or engage in summer snacking.
Don’t: Let your oral hygiene routine slide just because you are on vacation. Make sure you keep up with it. It might seem like a week or two of not flossing and a few skipped brushings won’t cause any harm, but that’s enough time for bacteria to take root in your gums and lead to periodontal disease, especially if you’re also indulging in foods you normally avoid because you’re on vacation.
Do: Watch how much you or your child snack and be careful to choose braces-friendly foods. The same goes for regular meals. Avoid anything crunchy, sticky, chewy, or hard. Fresh summer fruits are always safe (even apples are okay if you slice them first) but avoid summer favorites like corn on the cob and s’mores.
Don’t: Decide it won’t hurt “just this once” to not be careful what you or your child are eating. Doing this is a great way to break or bend a wire or even a bracket and end up in our Gardena office (or an emergency dental clinic halfway across the country) for emergency repairs.
Do: Enjoy the fruits of the season. Fresh fruit and veggies are at their peak of flavor and abundance at this time of the year. Fresh fruit has sugar in it, yes, but this is offset by the wealth of nutrients it provides. If you’re going to snack in between meals or on a road trip, try to brush your teeth as soon as possible afterward.
Don’t: Indulge in unlimited snacking. It’s easy to do, especially when you’re traveling. Limit the number of summer sweets you allow yourself and your kids. S’mores and fruit pies are some of the finest things in life but don’t eat them every day even in the summer.
Don’t forget to brush your teeth after indulging, either; the sugars in these foods will stick to your teeth and can cause you problems down the road with tooth decay or gum disease.
Do: Eat fresh fruits and vegetables to your heart’s content. These are healthy year-round and are easy to get right now. Other summer favorites such as popcorn, nuts, and beef jerky are healthy in moderation as well.
Don’t: Drink too many fruit juices or cocktails like lemonade. Avoid sweet tea and sodas as well. Some traditional summer sweet treats, such as s’mores and saltwater taffy, should be indulged in only in moderation (or avoided altogether if you have braces). All forms of candy and sugar should be limited to protect your teeth and your overall health.
Do: Make sure your children are following their own oral hygiene routines. It’s easy for children to slide on proper brushing at the best of times, and when schedules and routines are relaxed like they are in the summer, it’s even easier to do. Remind them how important it is to brush their teeth (even at summer camp!) and follow up to make sure they’re doing so.
Don’t: Let them slide on proper oral hygiene because they’re kids and a few weeks of slacking off won’t hurt, right? The truth is that cavities can easily get started over those few weeks, especially if they are constantly snacking like most kids do in the summer. Furthermore, it’ll be hard to get them back into a proper oral hygiene routine when school starts again if they don’t carry it through the summer.
Do: Call our office for help. The staff in our Gardena office will be happy to help you make an appointment to get seen. They will also give you instructions on how to handle the issue while you wait. Most dental problems can be resolved easily if you’re home or can wait until you return if you’re on a trip.
In addition, our staff will help you determine if something is important enough to qualify as an emergency and what you should do if so, particularly if you are away from home. Take the name and number of local dentists and dental emergency clinics with you on your trip just in case.
Don’t: Panic! That’s the most important thing. Most dental problems are not true emergencies and can wait until we can see you. For those that are, we’ll work you into our schedule (we try to reserve some appointments just for emergencies) or direct you to your nearest emergency room for immediate care.
Dentist of Gardena is here for you! We provide preventative and restorative dental care to all ages in an up-to-date, modern office that has all the latest in innovative dental technology. We also offer orthodontic care for children and adults. Our office offers financing and payment arrangements to help you get the care you need. We also have flexible appointment times to fit your busy schedule.
Call Dentist of Gardena at (424) 321-7470 today to schedule an appointment!