Since COVID-19 happened, the general public’s movements became limited. Enhance community quarantine, general community quarantine, whatever they call it, there will be a New Normal. This makes going to your dentist a little more difficult than usual. Most dental clinics are closed and only accept online consultation and give e-prescriptions as a remedy to most patients’ concerns. It is therefore important to avoid getting dental emergencies or putting yourself in an uncomfortable dental disposition.
As a dentist, I will share with you the dental hygiene tips that I actually do for myself with or without the pandemic to avoid decay, gum problems or any form of tooth pain.
1. Brush your teeth. I know it is pretty basic but more often than not, we forget that we need to brush every after a meal. We usually eat three times a day (maybe 5 or more *wink*), and it is vital to brush your teeth after every major meal. Decay forms rapidly and most especially when you love food that is starchy like rice or potato and sweets like cake or chocolate, bacteria adore them.
Also, our saliva is prone to drying whenever we sleep. During ECQ, we tend to sleep during the day and most often than not, we do not brush our teeth before sleeping. A dry mouth is a good breathing ground for bacteria.
With all these situations, you just gave the bacteria food and home. During this time, do not give decay the opportunity to grow and foster (hello, Catriona fans!). Brush your teeth 3 times a day.
2. Floss in between your teeth. You might think that this article is like your ordinary “How to take care of your teeth every day,” but I cannot stress this enough. We have flexible time and at our disposal even, it is safe to say that there are no excuses anymore.
3. DIY Fluoride Treatment. Fluoride is the most potent mineral that can strengthen and restore tooth surfaces. After brushing every night, apply a thin layer of toothpaste on the necks of each tooth, top surfaces of the back teeth, behind the upper front teeth and in between all your teeth. You can spit but do not gargle after applying. It will help if your toothpaste is not too minty because you might end up just removing it if you are very sensitive.
4. Choose your toothpaste well. Check the label of your toothpaste to make sure that the fluoride content is at least 1350-1500ppm and it has no SLS (Sodium Lauryl Sulfate). The most effective fluoride content is this much and you want to maximize every tooth brushing you do. SLS, on the other hand, sometimes irritates the gums and you want to avoid any form of discomfort that could possibly happen.
5. Drink lots of water and eat fruits & vegetables. Frequent drinking of water mechanically washes out bacteria from the mouth. Taking water, fruits and vegetables give vitamins and minerals that are essential in getting the right nutrients for your teeth through your bloodstream going to your mouth. You want to protect your teeth and gums inside and out.
6. Chew lightly. If you want to avoid fracturing the already weak teeth or old fillings, especially if you haven’t been to your dentist for more than a year, make sure to not skip this step. The last thing you want during the pandemic is rushing to a dental clinic because of intense pain. Even if you regularly go to your dentist, still do this step because you’ll never know when you will accidentally bite on a small stone left in the rice or that tiny bone that fractured from a part of the meat you’re eating.
Bonus tip:
If you get canker sores (singaw), simply gargle warm water with salt or potassium alum (tawas). For the next step, it is more comfortable to use the salt solution because of the taste, use gauze or cotton and soak it in the solution. Place and secure the cotton or gauze on top of the sore. Leave overnight if you are sure that you will not accidentally swallow the cotton or gauze. There are areas in the mouth where this step will be too difficult to do, don’t get frustrated and gargling 2 times a day will help a lot already. Healing is just faster if soaked longer.
Still, the best dental care for your teeth is going to your dentist every six months. Although this pandemic stopped all of us from doing so, make sure that once all these subsides, we will all make time.
So, in the meantime, take extra care of your teeth while we are away and follow all the tips. And if in doubt, you may always send questions to my email (dr.rafaelle@gmail.com). I’m accepting free online consultations until our clinic re-opening. For faster response, feel free to Viber or text message me at +63 977 813 0101.
Take care and stay safe, everyone!
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