How To Keep Your Teeth Healthy During The Coronavirus Outbreak: 4 Simple Tips

Due to the COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak, it’s hard to see the dentist for routine dental care, and many dental offices are only accepting emergency patients. So how can you keep your teeth strong and healthy while you’re maintaining social distancing and following stay-at-home orders? Here are a few simple steps from the team at Carmel Mountain Dental Care. 

1. Brush At Least Twice A Day

Brushing twice a day for at least two minutes is the best way to fight back against tooth decay and gum disease. It’s best to brush once in the morning after breakfast, and once at night after your last meal of the day. 

Got a bit more time on your hands? Consider a third brushing session! Brush in the morning, after lunch, and after dinner to maximize the effectiveness of your oral care routine.

2. Floss Once A Day

Only about 30% of people floss daily. If you’re part of the 70% who don’t, now is the perfect time to improve your oral health with regular flossing. By flossing, you’ll remove food particles and bacteria that can’t be eliminated with brushing alone. 

As long as you floss consistently at least once per day, you can floss at any time of day. We recommend rinsing with mouthwash after flossing to remove food particles that have been loosened during the flossing process.

Need a quick refresher course on proper flossing technique? Here’s a quick video guide that you can follow to improve your flossing skills.

3. Eat Healthy & Avoid Excessive Snacking

We recommend staying away from overly-processed foods that are high in sugar and starch, like cookies, candy, potato chips, pretzels, and other such foods. The bacteria in our mouths love to feed on sugar and starch, so these foods can contribute to tooth decay.

So what should you eat? As a rule of thumb, foods that are healthy for your body are also good for your teeth. Eat fresh fruits and vegetables, lean meats, whole grains, tree nuts, and other such wholesome, minimally-processed foods.

You should also avoid frequent snacking. This can be difficult if you’re stuck at home, but eating snacks frequently promotes the buildup of bacteria and acid on your teeth, because food particles will accumulate faster than your saliva can rinse them away. So don’t “graze” for food. Eat a few large meals each day, and snack once or twice. 

4. Stay Away From Sugary Drinks 

Sugary coffee and tea, juice, and soda are all very bad for your teeth. We recommend that you avoid adding too much sweetener to coffee and tea, and cut back on your consumption of soda and juice. Instead, drink tap water, or naturally-flavored seltzer water without sweeteners, such as La Croix. 

Keep Your Smile Healthy And Strong With These Tips From Our Office 

Even if you’re stuck at home, these tips from Carmel Mountain Dental Care can help you keep your mouth healthy. Wondering when our office will open up, and when you can come to see Dr. H. Jonathan Lee for an appointment? Contact us online or give us a call at (858) 484-4880 to get the latest updates.