Dental Hygiene Tips to Protect Your Teeth This Summer

Dental hygiene is important at all times of the year, but it’s especially important in summer! Some summer foods can stain teeth while others can do damage to your teeth. In addition, playing high contact sports can do damage to your teeth. Knowing how to protect your teeth in summer can help you keep them looking nice year-round! Here’s what you need to know.

Keep Floss on Hand

Some common foods that people eat in summer, like fresh garden broccoli and corn on the cob, can get stuck in your teeth. If you’re planning to go to a lot of summer barbecues this year, keep floss on hand at all times, so you can get those foods out from your teeth before it becomes a problem.

Limit Soda Intake

Soda is sugary and bad for your teeth. It can also stain your teeth, because it’s acidic. Limiting your soda intake can protect your teeth from rot and can also prevent your teeth from becoming stained. Limit your soda intake to as little as possible.

Know Which Foods Stain

Do you know which summer foods stain your teeth? It’s a lot of the same foods that stain your clothes!

• Barbecue sauce
• Ketchup
• Red wine
• White wine
• Coffee
• Soda
• Berries

Knowing which foods stain your teeth makes taking care of your teeth easier. If you’ve just eaten food that can be staining, swish with water to get some food off your teeth, or brush your teeth after eating. If you notice foods are staining your teeth over time, you don’t have to change your eating habits. Get tooth whitening services from your dentist.

Protect Your Teeth When Playing Sports

High contact sports can lead to serious injury that can do damage to your teeth. If you engage in sports where you might sustain an injury to your face, or if you like to engage in activities like skateboarding in the summer, consider wearing a mouthguard to protect your teeth. You can either buy a mouthguard from your local pharmacy, or buy a mouthguard from your dentist in Owensboro, KY.

Ready to schedule your dentist appointment? Call Dr. Wilson’s office today to make your appointment.