Take Care of Your Teeth, Even When You’re Not Feeling Well

shutterstock 2025311792 The colder months are upon us, and that means an increase in colds and flu. Taking care of your teeth may be the last thing on your mind if you’re not feeling well, but if you are sick for a few days or more, or if you are already having problems with your teeth and keeping them healthy, you may want to take a few minutes to keep up with your oral health. 

Tips for taking care of teeth when sick 

  1. Check your medication. If you are concerned about sugar damaging your teeth, make sure you get cough and cold medicine and cough drops without sugar.
  2. Drink lots of fluid. This is good advice whenever you are sick – it is a great way to flush germs out of your body and fight infection, and it is always important to stay hydrated. However, if you drink lots of water it can also help to keep your mouth clean by washing bacteria and debris off of your teeth.
  3. Gargle with salt water. Try a tablespoon of salt dissolved in warm water to help make your sore throat feel better, while also helping to clean bacteria and germs off of teeth.
  4. Brush when you can. Brush when you feel up to getting out of bed – it will help your teeth and it might also help to make you feel a bit better because you’ll feel more refreshed.
  5. If your illness includes vomiting, swish your mouth with water and spit it out. Don’t brush your teeth right away after vomiting – the stomach acid that gets on your teeth after you throw up can damage teeth, and brushing too soon only serves to spread the acid around in your mouth. Swish some water first, and wait for about 30 minutes before brushing.

You may not feel much like taking care of your teeth when you are in bed sick. However, some of these tips for taking care of your teeth may also help you feel better in general! Feel better, and if you need help with your oral health, contact the Konig Center for Cosmetic and Comprehensive Dentistry in Houston, Texas. Call (713) 668-2289 today!

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