The COVID-19 pandemic has caused businesses across the nation to close or offer limited services. This includes East Hill Dental Associates, your dentist in Roslyn Heights, NY. Many dental offices have been restricted to emergency dentistry services only. So what do you do if you’ve missed your regular dental appointment? Dr. Richard Sousa explains.
Make Sure You Get Your Appointment Rescheduled
Just because this appointment isn’t for an emergency doesn’t mean that it’s not important. Your bi-annual cleanings and checkups are crucial to maintaining your oral health. Our office may have already reached out to you about rescheduling. If not, give us a call or use our online scheduling tool. This isn’t an appointment that you should skip.
Keep Up With Oral Health at Home
When our daily routine changes, it can be hard to keep up with the little things. You may be adjusting to life without a job or working from home. You may be helping children with online learning or just keeping them occupied during isolation. It can be easy to forget to do things like making sure you’re brushing and flossing the right amount.
However, if you want to prevent things like tooth decay and gum disease, you have to make sure you’re brushing and flossing at least twice a day. Brushing more won’t hurt your teeth, either. If it helps you to remember, brush after every meal. That’s beneficial for your smile anyway, removing food particles leftover from eating. You can also set an alarm on your phone for mornings and evenings, reminding the whole household!
Try to Eat a Balanced, Healthy Diet
There have been limitations with grocery stores as well. It’s been hard for them to keep up a constant stock of some items due to people stocking up for lockdown. There may also be limitations on their hours or when people are able to go shop, let alone things that may prevent you from going freely. However, it’s important to try to eat as healthily as possible for your teeth.
First, avoid eating or drinking things that contain a lot of excess sugar. Sugar is one of the most harmful things for your smile. Harmful bacteria in your mouth use sugar as their main food source. They then give off an acidic byproduct. This byproduct can eat through the enamel on your teeth and is what can start the process for tooth decay.
Also, water is the best option to be your primary drink throughout isolation. Water is one of the most beneficial things for your mouth. It keeps it hydrated, which is important for rinsing away any excess sugar and food particles from your teeth. If you’re drinking tap water, there’s also a high chance that it’s fortified with fluoride. Fluoride helps strengthen your tooth enamel, keeping your teeth healthy and strong.
Your Dentist in Roslyn Heights, New York
We’re here to take care of your teeth after this crisis is over. It’s also a good idea to get a checkup to observe the impacts of the stress of this pandemic on your smile. Call us or schedule an appointment online for the future. We hope to see your smile in our office soon!