Keeping your teeth healthy during COVID

In response to the current Covid-19 restrictions many regular or non essential appointments across not only dentists, but other services have been deferred. During these times, it is of utmost importance to maintain an effective oral hygiene routine to ensure the health of your teeth and gums.

Here are our top healthy habits to help protect your teeth and gums during the current restrictions:

Regular brushing and flossing

Everyone knows to brush their teeth twice a day, but how well are doing it each time? This is what really matters. Experts recommend brushing for a minimum of 2 minutes each time, using circular motions and a soft bristled brush. Effective brushing removes build up from the food you eat and bacteria in your mouth. It is also important to brush your tongue. The tongue is also a breeding ground for bacteria, dead cells and food debris. Along with this, a great proportion of your teeth surfaces lie between your teeth. Therefore, it is important to floss at least once a day to remove any bacteria between these surfaces.

Limit sugary or acid

Understanding sugar is important for protecting your teeth against tooth decay. It is recommended to limit daily sugar intake to 24 grams (6 teaspoons) to decrease your risk of tooth decay. While limiting your sugar intake is a great way to protect your teeth, it is also just as important to look at the acidity of the foods and liquids you are consuming. Picking sugar free drinks or foods does not protect you from tooth acid erosion.Thus, it is also important to pay attention to the pH levels of your drinks, the lower the pH, the stronger the acid. Soft drinks typically have a pH of around 2.3 to 3, whereas water has a pH of 7.

Drink lots of water

The human body is 50-65% water, therefore staying hydrated is very important. What you may not know is that saliva is 99.5% water, therefore being dehydrated can thicken your saliva. This can disrupt the breaking down of food and neutralising bacteria acid in your mouth. Ensuring that you drink the recommended 2-3L of water a day will help to prevent tooth decay and bad breath

We hope you are all staying safe during these times! If you have any questions, contact the clinic on 9877 9706.