With COVID-19, many dental offices have had to close for everything but emergency dental appointments. This means that regular checkups and cleanings were canceled or postponed. So what should you do if yours is one of the appointments that was missed? Dr. Shawna Hoffert of Red Maple Dental, a dentist in Asheville, NC, offers some suggestions.
Get Your Appointment Rescheduled
Your regular bi-annual appointment isn’t something that you want to miss. It’s important to get another appointment scheduled as soon as possible. Our office may have reached out to you already to get a new appointment set up. If not, call us or use our online scheduling tool. Especially with the stress of the COVID-19 crisis, you’ll want to make sure to get your smile checked out.
Keep Up a Solid Home Oral Healthcare Routine
Since you’re missing your deep cleaning, it’s important that you keep up with a quality oral healthcare routine at home. It can be difficult to keep up with small things like brushing and flossing when our normal routines are upended. You’re adjusting to things like working from home or helping your kids with online learning. However, you have to keep up your oral health if you want to avoid tooth decay and gum disease.
Set an alarm for mornings and evenings on your phone to make sure that you’re brushing and flossing at least twice a day. This also helps remind your entire household that they should be doing the same thing. There’s no such thing as brushing too much, either. If it helps you remember, brush and floss after every meal. That’s also beneficial for getting food particles out from between your teeth as soon as possible.
Watch What You Eat and Drink
It can be hard to eat healthily during this pandemic. Many people are struggling with their mental health during this time, and comfort food isn’t always the healthiest. Grocery stores have limited hours and are having issues keeping certain foods on the shelves because people are stocking up for isolation. However, there are some easy things you can do to help your mental health.
First, try to avoid consuming a large amount of sugar. Sugar is extremely bad for your oral health. Harmful bacteria that live in your mouth use sugar as a main food source. They then give off an acidic byproduct that eats through the enamel on your teeth. The more sugar you consume, the more these bacteria will feed and give off that byproduct. This is what causes tooth decay.
Also, make water the main beverage you’re drinking. If you drink tap water, there’s a high chance it’s fortified with fluoride. This helps to make your tooth enamel stronger. Even if it isn’t tap water, it’s still a beneficial drink for your mouth. It helps keep your mouth hydrated, rinsing away excess sugars and food particles away from your smile.
Your Dentist in Asheville, North Carolina
Your dental checkup is still important to us here at Red Maple Dental. Call us or schedule an appointment online for the future. We hope to see you in our office soon!