Summer is a time when people often feel a greater sense of relaxation than they do at other points of the year. The weather is pleasant, and at least some of the population is free from the responsibilities associated with work and school. In these more relaxed times, forgetting about your oral health is easy. However, neglecting your teeth and mouth now could mean serious problems down the road. Follow some simple tips to maintain your smile.
Keep Your Appointments
Make sure you're booking appointments for days and times that actually work for you. For example, you might book an appointment and then find a fun event to attend at the same time. Rescheduling an appointment for another date in the near future is not always a terrible step to take. However, you need to ask yourself if you will actually reschedule the appointment or if you'll just keep pushing it off. When the answer is the latter, book an appointment at the Upper Hunt Club Dental Centre in Ottawa that you'll truly keep the first time around.
Schedule Your Brushings
With the sun shining its glow later on in the evening during the warmer months, you might forget about brushing. Aim to keep a regular routine when it comes to your brushing and flossing habits. If you like to sit outside while the kids play on the lawn in the evening hours, make sure that you get your family members to brush their teeth shortly after dinner and before heading out the door.
Shield Your Lips
Before going to the beach or grabbing a towel to sit outside at the pool for the day, you probably slather sunscreen on your body. Don't forget about your lips when it comes to applying protection from the sun's strong rays. Choose a lip balm that contains the right sun protection factor to prevent your lips from getting damaged.
Play with Caution
Taking care of the health of your teeth is imperative, and you also need to think about outside factors that could lead to injuries. Chances are that you take the kids to the playground in the summer or that your little ones love to engage in sports with the neighbourhood children. Consider the specific activities in which your children participate to determine if protective gear is needed. For example, you may need to buy mouth guards for your kids.
Watch the Sweets
During the warmer months, you and your family probably love to eat some extra sweet treats. Whether you enjoy dessert on the porch every evening after dinner or you like to get ice cream at the beach, you are likely indulging in more of these products than you do at other times of the year. Think about the damage that this sugar can do to your teeth. Instead of finding yourself with dental problems, stock the fridge with frozen treats that aren't harmful to your teeth. You might even look up some healthy recipes that you can make with the kids over the summer.
Monitor Beverages
Even if you do manage to skip the unhealthy snacks, you might not realize how much sugar you're consuming from beverages. Whether you and the neighbours plan happy hours for the summer evenings or you're always grabbing some extra juice from the fridge in the summer heat, you can easily not notice the damage you're doing to your teeth. Look for other tasty options that have less sugar. Also, make drinking enough water a priority this summer. In addition to being better for your teeth, water can also help you to stay hydrated on those hot summer days. Speaking with your doctor about the right amount of water consumption for your body weight is ideal.
Carry Emergency Numbers
During the summer, you might have plans to travel around the province or country with your relatives or friends. While accounting for dental emergencies is probably not at the top of your vacation to-do list, make sure you are prepared. For example, you can bring the number of the Upper Hunt Club Dental Centre in Ottawa along with you. In the event that an incident occurs, you can call the dentist for some guidance. Also, research emergency dentists in the area to which you are traveling. Then, if you need to get to a practice quickly, you have the ability to do so. You may find yourself even more relaxed since you'll know that you have the necessary information with you in the event of an incident.
The summer is a time when you should get to enjoy yourself. Still though, you don't want to forget about potential dental issues that could arise. Following some effective tips can keep you happy and smiling throughout the entire season. Start your summer off with a healthy smile by scheduling an appointment at the Upper Hunt Club Dental Centre in Ottawa. Contact us today to book an appointment.
