Spring is such a glorious time in Placerville! The sun shines, birds chirp, leaves and green grass return, and flowers bloom. Along with these pleasant springtime renewals, many people do spring cleaning or other tasks to prepare for the coming months of activity. With that in mind, it’s not too surprising that spring is a great time to evaluate your oral health. What does that entail?
Dental “Spring Cleaning”
Spring is an excellent time for the first of your semi-annual dental checkups. We can review the current status of your teeth and provide guidelines, if needed. At the same visit, we do a “spring cleaning” for your teeth, giving you a fresh mouth and an invigorated smile.
Inspect Your Oral Hygiene Equipment
Mouthwash – When your mouthwash reaches its expiration date, its ability to do the job deteriorates. You might notice a slight change in taste as well. Make sure your mouthwash hasn’t gone past its time. If so, simply head to the store and replace it.
Toothbrush – In fact, while you are at the store, consider replacing your toothbrush as well (or in the case of electric toothbrushes, pick up a pack of replacement heads). This ensures you remove any germs or bacteria that might be hanging on, whether you use a UV light or not. Now’s also a good time to replace any needed batteries.
Flossing tools – Make sure you have enough dental floss for the coming months. If you’d like, try a different flavor, like cinnamon instead of mint. Or perhaps try waxed instead of unwaxed. And don’t forget to restock floss picks in convenient locations at work or in the car.
Additional Springtime Dental Considerations
Placerville’s trees, like juniper, alder and poplar, show off their exquisite natural beauty during this time of year. However, they also bring on allergic reactions like sniffing, sneezing, nose blowing and mouth breathing. While these symptoms don’t directly damage teeth, they can open the way for oral issues.
Dry mouth results from mouth breathing or as a side effect of antihistamines, greatly reducing the amount of saliva. Since saliva does important things like neutralizing acids, rinsing your teeth, and helping to digest food, reducing it causes problems for your health. Over time, dry mouth increases the possibility of gum disease or bad breath. If dry mouth is a symptom for you, alleviate it by keeping hydrated or changing your allergy medication, but keep your dentist informed in case you require further assistance.
Allergies also irritate the maxillary sinuses, the largest sinus cavities in your face. Pressure in these sinus cavities pushes down on the roots of your upper molars, sometimes leading to increased tooth sensitivity or pain. If the pain seems to go away with repositioning, like lying down or sitting up, it’s possible that your toothache is merely a result from an allergic reaction. But if your allergy symptoms go away but your tooth pain doesn’t, then it’s time for one of our Placerville dentists to investigate.
Whatever your allergic symptoms might be, keeping a good routine in oral hygiene during springtime (and all the other seasons) is the best way to maintain your oral health. With a good dental routine, you can smile all the way through springtime!
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