Although we often fall back on muscle memory with oral hygiene routines, it is important to always refresh your skills every once in a while. This is especially true if you are suffering from the cold or the flu. During the flu season, it is important to practice a little extra care with your mouth to prevent any illnesses from arising and damaging your teeth and gums. However, if you’re already sick, you’ll need to find the energy to provide a modest amount of oral health care as needed. This is because your teeth may be extra vulnerable to several forms of dental damage.

One of the biggest oral health risks associated with an illness is dehydration. This is because dehydration can lead to dry mouth. If for any reason you are suffering from dry mouth, it can lead to a downturn in your oral health due to a lack of saliva. Saliva is essential for washing away debris and plaque buildup and can even help to neutralize harmful acids in your mouth. When you are sick, you will often throw up, which can expose your teeth to further erosion from harmful acids traveling up into your mouth. Saliva, as well as nonabrasive cleaning utensils, will be needed to help remove the harmful debris from your mouth. Never use abrasive tools such as brushes at this time, but rather stick to mouthwash or sugarless chewing gum.

Exercise caution with products such as cough drops. Although cough drops can help to alleviate a sore throat, they may cause further damage to your teeth. This is because they are often hard on your teeth if you bite into them incorrectly. Furthermore, they are often loaded with sugars which can increase the rate at which tooth decay occurs.

Do you believe you are ready for oral health care to prepare you for cold and flu season? If so, you can schedule an appointment with your dentist at Premier Dentistry of Eagle, by calling us at (208) 546-0655. Dr. Shane S. Porter and our entire team at our dentist office in Eagle, Idaho.