Oral Health Heatwave Alert!
Did you know that extreme temperatures can affect your teeth and gums?
By the time you are reading this blog, you are probably sweating and sweltering in the current heatwave where temperatures are likely to reach around thirty five degrees and possibly more. While temperatures should return to a more manageable level soon, the evidence suggests that we may have many more of these heatwaves, and the next one may not be too far away. It is well known that extreme heat can cause problems for our general health, but today, we are going to take a look at how it can also impact the oral health of our Chelmsford patients. Hopefully, the advice below will enable you to avoid the worst consequences of this hot weather and allow you to enjoy it safely.
Oral health impact
It probably goes without saying that extreme temperatures don’t suddenly cause a cavity to form overnight, but it can certainly have an overall impact on our teeth and gums.Most of these hot weather related dental issues are avoidable so let us take a look at them, now.
Dehydration
While we can become dehydrated at any time, very hot weather makes this more likely. We lose fluids simply by our bodies trying to cool down. Too few of us probably drink enough fluids to to stave this off fully and many of us will be a bit dehydrated at least. The effect of this means that we lack saliva to flush away food particles and bacteria. This initially feels no more inconvenience than a dry or sticky mouth. This can soon change though and can lead to cavities and/or gum disease.
Try to make sure that you drink plenty of water during this hot spell, and make sure that it is water and not other drinks as water is the best hydrator available. Some other drinks can also impact the teeth and gums as we will see now.
Fizzy drinks and sensitivity
In the heat, it can be easy to be tempted by images of very refreshing looking cold drinks. The sheer ‘coolness’ appeal is enough to make us want to buy one straight away. While the first few mouthfuls especially can be refreshing, most of these drinks are full of sugar and high in acidity. This can lead to eroded tooth enamel which can expose the tooth to a higher risk of sensitivity as well as allowing bacteria to enter into the inner part of the tooth, potentially leading to tooth decay or root canal problems.
The ‘heatwave’ diet
One thing that is guaranteed to change when the weather is really hot is that we change what we eat. While swapping a stew for a salad won’t really impact our teeth and gums, the addition of lots of ice creams, other chilled deserts and cold fizzy drinks very likely will. We don’t expect our Chelmsford patients to avoid these altogether, but we do urge that you do so in moderation and make sure to drink water too, both for hydration purposes, but also to wash some of that excess sugar away.
Also, be careful with the consumption of alcohol. A nice cold pint (or several) of ice cold lager might be tempting, but, in addition to the dry mouth it may well cause, it is far from unusual for people to come to our Blue Sky Dental practice with broken or knocked out teeth as a result of accidents caused by excessive alcohol consumption.
Children and the heat
Naturally, you should make sure to protect your children from the damage that the sun can cause, making sure they drink plenty of water and applying sun cream. Kids, as we know, also have an almost limitless appetite for ice creams and cold drinks. Make sure that these are consumed only in moderation. They may sulk or even perhaps throw a mini tantrum, but remember that you are not doing it to spoil their fun, but to protect their teeth.
Temperatures above 35°C remain relatively unusual in the UK, which means that many of us are not particularly well adapted to prolonged periods of extreme heat. This may well change with the warming climate and exceptionally hot days may become more frequent.
Taking good care to stay hydrated and avoiding an excessive amount of ice cream and fizzy drinks will help to keep your teeth and gums in good health. Remember too, that however tired you might feel at the end of a hot day, you should always make sure to clean your teeth well, and this should include flossing too.
If you would like more information on this topic or would like to make an appointment to see us, please call Blue Sky Dental on 01245 211070.