Keeping Your Teeth Healthy When You’re Sick

No matter the pest bothering your immune system, be it a cold or something more nefarious, the last thing you probably think about when you’re sick is the health of your teeth. This can be dangerous, as during most illnesses is when oral hygiene is most at risk. To help during what is sure to be an uncomfortable period, we have some ways to keep your teeth healthy whilst the rest of you is under the weather.

Don’t Brush After Vomiting

Once the horrible experience of vomiting is over, the first thing everyone wants to do is to get those nasty tastes out of their mouth. The only problem is, vomiting removes the harmful elements in your body, and to do so it must bring with it extremely acidic substances. Once in your mouth, these acids eat away at the enamel of your teeth. By brushing your teeth right after being sick, you can actually rub those acids deeper, rather than eliminating them, leaving your teeth more vulnerable to decay. Instead, try rinsing your mouth with some water and baking soda to remove those aftertastes.

Spreading Illness through Your Toothbrush

When sick, we’re always told to cover our mouth when coughing, sneezing, and sometimes even breathing. Yet, we still put back our used toothbrushes in the communal bathroom cup that the rest of the family use.

Toothbrushes often collect bacteria and fluids every night, especially if they are only cleaned with a light rinse after use. If you have a contagious illness, it is good practise to isolate your toothbrush from others in the vicinity, to prevent further spreading. Moreover, once you feel better, it might not be a bad idea to throw it away and buy a fresh, new one.

Keep Hydrated  

Our bodies are seventy-percent water, and we never lose as much fluids as when we’re sick. To ensure you protect your oral and overall health, it is essential that you keep hydrated. As well as the damages dehydration can do to your body, low amounts of saliva in your mouth increase the risk of damage to your teeth and gums. One of the main roles of saliva is to wash away food particles and acids, which assists in maintaining the levels of bacteria in your mouth. Plenty of water consumption will promote more saliva to enter your mouth.

Keep Sugar Free

When it comes to oral health, keeping as sugar free as possible is always recommended, yet never more so than when you’re sick. The bacteria in your mouth feeds on the residual sugar, producing an acid that eats at enamel. With decreased saliva production and an excess of bacteria already present in your mouth, your oral health is especially at risk.