Winter is here! It’s time to bring out your cozy blankets, break out your fluffy sweaters, and pull out your assortments of coffee and tea to keep warm. It’s also a good idea to plan ahead this season to avoid common winter mouth problems, like tooth sensitivity, dry mouth, and chapped lips. To learn a few helpful tips on how to combat these and maintain a healthy smile, keep reading!
#1. Heightened Tooth Sensitivity
Whether it’s -30 degrees or 10 degrees, the winter weather can quickly cause your normal body temperature to drop. In response, the temperature in your mouth is lowered too, resulting in heightened sensitivity. The good news is that you can help prevent this from happening by breathing through your nose instead of your mouth. That way, the oxygen goes directly to your lungs and doesn’t bypass your teeth. You can also protect your teeth by using a toothpaste with fluoride or a toothpaste specifically for sensitive teeth.
#2. Dry Mouth
Winter season is also cold and flu season. Around this time of year, you may notice that your nose is stuffy and your mouth breathing increases. Unfortunately, this can lead to dry mouth, a condition that’s been linked to both decay and infection. To prevent this from happening, make sure to sip on plenty of water throughout the day and limit your intake of caffeinated beverages. If you don’t have water close by, try chewing on a piece of sugar-free gum!
#3. Chapped Lips
Freezing temperatures and biting wind are two components of winter that can quickly leave your lips feeling dry and looking chapped. While this won’t necessarily negatively impact your oral health, it can be quite uncomfortable and detract from the appearance of your smile. Luckily, there are several ways to keep your lips hydrated during the winter months. That starts with drinking plenty of water and extends to using a high-quality lip balm or mask as needed.
While the winter season can present some challenges to your oral health, there are a few things you can do to help prevent or minimize them. Now is the perfect time to also schedule your six-month checkup and cleaning to ensure your teeth and gums are in tip-top shape!
About the Practice
Leading our team at Winthrop Street Dentistry are two talented dentists, Dr. Evan Yu and Dr. Harry Golnazarian. Since the holidays and the winter temperatures can make it hard to maintain a healthy smile, they are proud to offer essential preventive care and personalized recommendations on how to keep your oral health in tip-top shape. If it has been more than six months since your last checkup and cleaning or you’d like to schedule an appointment to learn more about how to protect your smile, don’t hesitate to visit our website or call (508) 756-0990.
