With cold and flu season in full swing, it’s important to not neglect your dental health. Here are a few ways to keep up good dental hygiene habits, even when you don’t feel like it.
- Choose sugar-free cough drops. Cough drops are often used to soothe an itchy throat or to keep an irritating cough at bay. Since you hold these drops in your mouth for long periods of time, it is important to choose sugar-free drops when possible.
- Rinse with saltwater. Throwing up is never fun. Not only are the experience and the after taste unpleasant, but the stomach acid left behind can also damage your teeth. Anytime you throw up you need to be sure to rinse with salt water to remove bacteria from your mouth and gums.
- Stay hydrated. Water is the best drink when it comes to your dental health, but you don’t have to be completely restricted to it. A hot cup of tea can feel great on your sore throat – just don’t add sugar.
- Change your toothbrush. Once your illness has passed, treat yourself to a new toothbrush. Your old one can harbor germs and result in you getting sick all over again.
Taking care of yourself during an illness is hard, but taking the time and effort to continue with good dental hygiene practices during cold and flu season can save you from problems after the fact. Continue to brush and floss daily, choose sugar-free drinks and medicines when possible, and keep yourself hydrated with the right fluids to ensure that your teeth remain healthy, even when the rest of you feel sick.