How to Take Care of Your Oral Hygiene During the Pandemic

  • October 9, 2020
  • 5 mins read

The pandemic has certainly changed the daily routines for most people. Staying at home, most of the time may lead to a change of habits, which may directly affect your oral hygiene. There may be a shift in diet, exercise, and coping mechanisms to get through the stress of isolation. Take note of the effects of these unhealthy practices and what habits you can adapt to maintain good oral hygiene.

7 Unhealthy Habits that can Affect Oral Hygiene

  • Frequent Snacking or Binge Eating

Fighting off boredom or coping with stress may be the most common reason people have turned to this habit. Whether your watching movies or series or simply eating while working, eating more times a day than you’re supposed to not only causes some weight gain but may also leave behind more food debris. Accumulation of this can lead to cavities. This may cause your teeth to deteriorate, especially if you’re opting for food that isn’t considered healthy.

  • Eating Junk Food

Consuming unhealthy food regularly has a direct effect on your oral health. Treats like candy or sweet desserts have a great impact on teeth because of their sugar content. And chips and snacks can lead to cavities if eaten in excess. 

  • Drinking alcohol

The isolation at home has brought to life more stress, causing some people to cave into vices like alcohol to cope with it. While alcohol consumption is acceptable in moderation, too much of it can cause dehydration and dry mouth. 

  • Drinking too much Coffee

Being at home makes it much more convenient to make coffee as you work remotely. Too much coffee can cause staining on teeth, which may cause your teeth to thin and become brittle.

  • Smoking Cigarettes

Smoking is also a form of coping mechanism for stress. With the liberty to stay at home, smokers have the freedom to up their intake. Tobacco causes nicotine staining, which may leave permanent teeth discoloration. Other health risks involving oral health and smoking are mouth cancer.

  • Using Teeth like Tools 

A significant amount of people have turned to online shopping during the quarantine. Some people have a bad habit when it comes to opening packages is using their teeth to rip off seals. Grabbing a pair of scissors or an unpacking knife is much more efficient and will not compromise your dental health. 

  • Not Brushing and Flossing

Neglecting oral hygiene may be one of the serious bad habits that people may have adopted during the quarantine. Since people have nowhere to go, it is difficult to find value in such habits. While it is a mundane everyday task, it should still be as important to continue as before lockdown.  

6 Tips on How to To Take Care of Your Oral Hygiene 

  • Eat Healthy Food
    • Dairy products 

Food such as milk and cheese is rich in calcium, which strengthens teeth and bones. If you are allergic to dairy, opt for food such as beans and salmon for your calcium source.

    • Fibre-rich Fruits and Vegetables

Fruits and vegetables, when eaten raw, can help clean plaque. Plus, these healthy food types contain vitamins, calcium, and antioxidants that can help gum protection and fight off bacterial infection in your mouth.

    • Sweet Craving? Only Eat Sugary food in meals

If you find it difficult to resist sweet treats, then you can have them in moderation solely as desserts, and not snacks. That way, you reduce intake and practice mindful eating.

  • Limit Snacking

Eat when you are hungry, not out of boredom. But snacking doesn’t have to go altogether. If you do have the urge to munch on something, try chewing sugar-free gum or eat the listed food above that benefits oral hygiene. 

  • Replace Morning Coffee with a Cup of Green or Black Tea

To limit your coffee intake, you can adapt to drinking a hot cup of tea in the morning to help you relax and stay awake. On top of that, tea can help prevent cavities by getting rid and preventing plaque build-up, which protects the gums and mouth and reduces bad breath. Coffee can be taken in moderation or alternate mornings. 

  • Mind your Vices

Smoking and alcohol may be destressing habits, but they are proven to be harmful in more ways than one. Be mindful of the effects they carry and try to adopt healthier coping mechanisms in place of them. You may consult professionals if you find them difficult to eradicate from your system. 

  • Brush Twice a Day

Brushing your teeth is a practice that should not be ignored, even if you have no special event to go to. But also don’t brush right after you’ve eaten, especially if you’ve had a meal with an acidic component. 

Brush in short circular back-and-forth motions. Be thorough and take at least two minutes on each side when brushing. Clean your tongue as well. 

If you noticed that you hadn’t changed your toothbrush in a while, it is important to replace it immediately. Overused toothbrushes will not only hinder your progress, but it will also contribute to bad oral hygiene as the accumulated bacteria of an old toothbrush may spread faster.   

  • Don’t Forget to Floss

Flossing gets in between the teeth where your toothbrush cannot reach. It removes the excess food debris and prevents plaque build-up in these crevices. Be gentle when you go through them at a time, not to aggravate the gums.

Visit a Dentist Near You

While the quarantine may restrict you from many things, paying a dentist’s visit is still important to ensure that your oral health doesn’t fall behind. 

Kyrene Family Dentistry takes the necessary precautionary steps to ensure that your visit is safe and pleasant. Appointments are made ahead of time to limit patients coming in and out. 

Contact us to book a schedule for your dental checkup.