Cold weather can be hard on your joints, skin, and your oral cavity. You can tell it’s winter when your lips become chapped, but the inside of your mouth is vulnerable to the winter weather as well. Dry winter air, cold wind, and low humidity indoors not only dehydrate your lips, but your oral mucosa can become dehydrated too. Avoiding dry mouth is important to your oral health. In today’s blog, we discuss cold weather and your oral cavity.
Combat the Cold Weather
There are some ways you can combat the cold weather to keep your mouth moist, comfortable, and healthy during the winter months. Nearly 60 percent of your body weight is water, so water is crucial for keeping your body healthy and functioning properly. Drink plenty of water this winter, not only does it keep you hydrated it helps to keep your mouth moist which is important to your oral health, and water flushes away sugars, food debris, and starches that attract pathogenic bacteria. Other ways to keep your mouth healthy include:
- Eat right: It is important to keep your body healthily nourished at all times, not just during the winter. Food is an important source of vitamins, minerals, protein, and calcium that your body needs to function effectively, including keeping your teeth strong and your gums healthy. Begin your day with a healthy breakfast by including one or more of the following: fresh eggs, yogurt, calcium-fortified cereal, fresh fruit.
- A clean toothbrush is a healthy toothbrush: Damp toothbrushes can harbor pathogenic bacteria that can reinfect your oral cavity, and cause illness. To discourage bacterial growth on your toothbrush air-dry it after each use.
About your Des Moines Dentist
The Gateway Dental Group provides comprehensive dental treatments including general, cosmetic, and restorative dentistry. As a member of the American Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine, Dr. Burds also has extensive experience helping his patients suffering from sleep disorders obtain restful sleep via oral appliance therapy. You can contact Dr. Stephen J. Burds office at 515-442-5659. We welcome patients from River Bend, Kirkwood Glen, East Village, and neighboring communities.