Don’t neglect your smile: dental care tips to protect your teeth over the summer

Summer comes and along with it so do the spontaneous plans: trips away, dinners outside… which make it increasingly more difficult to keep up with a routine and those healthy habits. And oral care is no exception. A disruption to the work hours and routines established during the year make it tougher to keep on top of thorough dental hygiene.

In this article we will give you dental care tips to be able to enjoy the summer without neglecting the health of your teeth and smile.

Consequences of neglecting your oral health over the summer

Despite the fact that throughout the year we visit the dentist, follow prescribed treatments and maintain optimal oral health, in the summer we tend to forget these routines. However, it’s important to remember that neglecting taking care of our teeth during the summer can have serious consequences for our dental health and that of our smile.

Amongst the most common problems that can result from neglecting the teeth are plaque and tartar build-up.

Tartar build-up on the teeth, besides being very unsightly, can damage the gums. This is why at the end of the summer gums tend to be more inflamed and sensitive, causing the cold temperature of an ice cream or the ice in a drink to bother our teeth, for example.

Another consequence of neglecting your dental care routine during the summer is bad breath. We tend to think that this is due to a change in diet, which it may be, but it is also caused by the accumulation of bacterial plaque.

Dental tips to care for and protect the teeth in the summer

Despite wanting to disconnect and relax, taking care of your teeth in the summer is not impossible. Here are some tips to help you look after your dental health during the hottest time of the year.

Always carry a toothbrush with you

Make your toothbrush a staple in your summer kit: towel, sunglasses and toothbrush. In the summer we know when we will leave the house but not when we will be back, so if you always have it with you, you will be able to brush your teeth whenever you need to in any bathroom.

Set aside one day a week to review your oral health

We recommend setting aside one day a week for an intensive oral hygiene check-up, including mouthwash and flossing. Flossing is recommended every day, but we know that this can be more complicated in the summer. That’s why it is important to respect this exhaustive dental health review one day a week, so as not to completely neglect the care of your teeth over the summer.

Drink water: being well-hydrated looks after your teeth

Hydration is essential during the hottest months of the year; our whole organism needs a good amount of water to be able to function optimally. Our mouth also needs it to avoid dry mouth, which, apart from being an annoying sensation, can damage the gums. There are drinks that are inadvisable for our teeth, such as tea, coffee or wine, which can stain the enamel, or others such as alcoholic or sugary drinks, which are extremely harmful to our smile. At Impress we recommend hydrating with water this summer to take care of your teeth in the healthiest way possible.

Eat fruit and vegetables: they’re good for your mouth

Summer is the time of year when we most want to eat light, fresh fruit and vegetables to help with the heat and, what's more: they’re good for our oral health. Fruit and vegetables, overall, are very good for our gums and our general health. There are fruits, such as melon, which, being rich in water, are good for keeping our mouths hydrated, and others, such as apples, which can help clean our teeth in a pinch.

Avoid long-term exposure to chlorine

The last dental tip to help you care for and protect your teeth this summer is probably the most unknown: be careful with chlorine, it can be harmful to our teeth.

Chlorine is a chemical that is added to water to protect us from infections, but it can damage our skin and teeth. Chlorine, for example, causes so-called swimmer’s tartar, which is a reaction in the form of yellowish or brownish stains that usually appear on the front teeth. The solution is to rinse your mouth thoroughly after every swim and not to expose yourself to chlorine for overly long periods of time.

Impress: orthodontics for you to enjoy the summer

Dental aligners are the perfect orthodontic treatment for the summer. No one will notice you’re wearing them and they won’t bother you when it comes to enjoying food and drink.

You can also monitor your treatment via our app wherever you are, without the need to visit our clinics, but always with the support of our medical team who have over 15 years of experience. Additionally, if you spend your holidays abroad and need to visit a clinic whilst away, we make it easy for you: we have over 160 clinics in 8 countries around the world.

If you’re interested in finding out what Impress can do for your smile, visit your nearest Impress clinic. You can also book an appointment online, by phone on +44 20 3808 1072, or via WhatsApp.