How to protect your smile this summer 

Holidays are for trips to the beach, long walks, and picnics to name a few of the fun things many of us will be enjoying this summer. With all of the hustle and bustle, it’s easy for oral health and tooth care to take a back seat to keeping cool and having a good time but it doesn’t have to.

There are things you can do right now to protect your smile this summer from staining or damage. Below is a list of our tips for keeping a healthy smile!

Drink plenty of water

One of the best ways to protect your smile this summer, is something you’re probably already doing — staying hydrated. Simply drinking water is often frequently underestimated in terms of the good it can do your dental health. Properly hydrating by drinking plenty of water can help keep you cool, improve your breath by rinsing away food pieces and sugar off your teeth and will even help wash away plaque-causing bacteria which is why dentists recommend drinking water during meals.

Hydrating can sometimes be tedious because water although good for you can be a bit dull to drink. So, if you have kids or are simply not excited by the amount of water you need to drink try infusing it with ripe or slightly overripe fruits to give it some flavour. You can do this by adding a handful of blueberries, slices of juicy oranges, slivers of crisp apples, or halves of strawberries to a glass or container then putting it in the fridge. This simple solution can make water more appealing and refreshing to children and adults!

But, if you find plaque is becoming a problem, it might be time to come in for a regular cleaning, or at the very least trying disclosing tablets to improve your brushing techniques. Many people struggle with plaque because it matches the colour of our teeth but with disclosing tablets you can almost immediately see areas you missed with your toothbrush.

Generally, disclosing tablets come in bright colours usually blue or pink to make it obvious where plaque builds up on your teeth. Disclosing tablets help people of all ages find out where brushing techniques could be improved and highlights trouble areas. Once rectified, your new brushing technique will reduce plaque creating a healthier mouth and protecting your beautiful smile!

Keep up with brushing

Going on holiday doesn’t mean your regular brushing and interdental brushing habits should take a break! Remember the best way to protect your smile this summer is to brush and interdental brush every day — even while you’re away!

brushing teeth

Another good piece of advice is to keep an emergency set of travel toothbrushes, paste, floss or interdental brushes, and mouthwash in your car. This way if you or the whole family are out enjoying your day out longer than planned you can still keep-up good brushing and flossing habits.

Fizzy drinks

This probably isn’t going to come as a shock to you, but in the summer especially, people have a tendency to reach for fizzy drinks because they taste good and feel refreshing. But, these types of drinks typically have ill effects on your oral health which can lead to, among other things, cavities.

At AP Smilecare, we tell our clients it is worth considering how you can cut down on the number and frequency of carbonated drinks. Carbonation can eat away at the enamel on your teeth making them weaker — potentially impacting your smile.

Drinking or eating food with high levels of sugar like fizzy drinks often contributes to tooth decay which could result in other dental problems. This is because many bacteria found in the mouth convert sugar to acid which can cause damage to your teeth.

If you have applied all the tips above but are still noticing yellowed discolouration of your teeth or need help managing your smile then, give us a call on 01254 297 000 to discuss teeth whitening treatments today!