Summer is full of vacations, sweet and cool treats, and just good summertime fun. While these warm months are the perfect time to spend time with family and friends, the busyness of this season can easily throw you off your daily schedule – including your dental routine. For healthy summertime smiles, Dr. Nicole Fulp, a dentist at Fulp Family Dentistry, suggests implementing these three simple tips!
In order to have summer fun, while preventing tooth decay:
- Maintain a Routine
While it may sound like a good idea to go straight to bed after staying up late watching Netflix, take the time to make sure you and the kiddos brush the bacteria and other build-up off of your teeth before sleeping. Another thing to pay attention to is ensuring they aren’t skipping out brushing in the mornings since they aren’t getting ready for school like usual.
- Brush After Eating or Drinking Sweets
We’ve all heard candy and other sugary foods are not good for our teeth and cause cavities. But do you know exactly why? The bacteria in our mouths feed off of sugar to produce the acid that rots teeth. Brushing and flossing are vital to remove sugars and other food particles before too much damage is done. In a pinch? Rinse your mouth out with water or mouthwash, if a toothbrush is not handy.
- Remember to Pack Your Toothbrush
Sunscreen? Check. Phone charger? Check. Toothbrush? Uh oh. If you find yourself finally at that fun vacation spot, but have forgotten to pack your toothbrush, there are things you can do to get you by. You can rinse vigorously with water; another option (if you remembers the toothpaste!) is to put some toothpaste on a washcloth or even your clean finger. We highly recommend checking with the concierge or going to the nearest drugstore/convenience store to get a toothbrush for the remainder of your vacation, though!
No matter how busy your summer schedule gets, always do your best to brush and floss twice, daily – and especially, encourage your kids to do the same! Remember, maintaining healthy summertime smiles mean bright smiles for back-to-school pictures!
Fulp Family Dentistry is a family dental office located in Tifton, Georgia. Dr. Nicole and Dr. Scott Fulp offers family dentistry and cosmetic dental services such as whitening, crowns, Invisalign, veneers, implants and more to Tifton and surrounding communities including Sylvester, Adel, Ashburn, Fitzgerald, Ocilla and Nashville.
