Protecting Your Home with Proper Dental Hygiene During Covid 19

Good habits can be hard to keep when your usual routine changes. Although school is out of session, it is important that your children brush for two minutes, twice a day, with fluoridated toothpaste. It is also important to maintain healthy eating habits, including
limited snacks each day. Encourage your children to drink water or milk instead of juice, soda or sports drinks, advises the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD).

1. Don’t share toothbrushes.
2. Regularly replace your toothbrush–at least every three months, or when bristles are frayed.
3. Don’t leave toothbrushes out near toilets.
4. Clean your bathroom regularly using a bleach-based cleaning product.
5. Practice key daily hygiene habits.

Other Tips for Safeguarding Your Smile

Be selective on what you eat. Being intentional with what you eat to better protect teeth during this time is essential.  Hard foods can irritate tender gum tissue, or crack and chip enamel.  Spicy foods, especially if you are feeling more stress, can cause mouth sores and irritation. If you are struggling with mouth pain or a mouth ulcer, choose softer foods that are easier to swallow and breakdown in the mouth. For example:

• Mashed potatoes
• Smoothies
• Ground meat
• Baked beans
• Eggs
• Noodles
• Fish
• Fruit
• Yogurt
• Cottage cheese
• Soup
• Canned vegetables
• Oatmeal

In addition to these proactive steps for dental hygiene during Covid 19, consider any habits that you have that are harmful to your teeth. Don’t chew ice. Chewing ice can cause tiny cracks in your enamel, making your teeth more at risk to breaking.

Stress and change of routine can trigger a bruxism habit (grinding and clenching teeth.)  Symptoms of bruxism include: jaw tenderness/weakeness, and teeth sensitivity.  A nightguard may be needed.  Call a member of our Li’l Sunshine Smiles Dentistry team to discuss your options.

Don’t forget to stay hydrated. This can’t be emphasized enough. Proper hydration supports both your oral health as well as your overall health.   Try to drink at least half your body weight in ounces of water a day.  Drinking water throughout the day keeps your mouth and tissues moisturized. Also, it helps cleanse the teeth after eating meals and snacking.

Keeping Our Patients Safe

Infection control has always been a top priority for our practice and you may have seen this during your visits to our office. Our infection control processes are made so that when you receive care, it’s both safe and comfortable. We want to tell you about the infection control procedures we follow in our practice to keep patients and staff safe.

Our office follows infection control recommendations made by the American Dental Association (ADA), the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). We follow the activities of these agencies so that we are up-to-date on any new rulings or guidance that may be issued.

You may see some changes when it is time for your next appointment. We made these changes to help protect our patients and staff.

Dr. Botero and our child-friendly dental team look forward to caring for your children’s smiles. We are pleased to provide complete dentistry for your children, allowing us to meet all of their dental needs and goals for healthy smiles that last a lifetime. Dr. Botero invites you to experience the difference a warm and caring team with experience working with children can provide for you and your children. Enjoy a unique and comfortable dental experience designed to put your children at ease and bring a healthier and happier smile back into your life.

We look forward to seeing you again and are happy to answer any questions you may have about the steps we take to keep you, and every patient, safe in our practice. To make an appointment, please call our office at 813-576-0200.