How to keep your teeth healthy during the Covid-19 outbreak
By Dr. Brian Hart, DDS
The Covid-19 pandemic has had a profound impact on our families, neighborhoods, and communities. Most governments worldwide have imposed lockdowns, which means that most people cannot leave their homes and can only avail of essential services.
This can be a very stressful time and one of the things that can get overlooked is how to keep your teeth healthy during this Covid-19 outbreak. In this article, we’ll explore how to keep your teeth healthy during this pandemic and time of profound change.
Recommendations for your oral health during the Covid-19 pandemic
Here are some recommendations that you can follow to ensure optimal oral hygiene and healthy teeth during these trying times:
1) Practice good oral hygiene: While there is no evidence that good oral hygiene can prevent the spread of the Coronavirus, staying home, and practicing good oral hygiene can prevent the occurrence of cavities and periodontal disease. This can mean that you have strong teeth during the Covid-19 outbreak and you do not need to visit your dentist during this time.
2) Visit your dentist only if it is an emergency: Ensure that you do not visit your dentist for non-urgent visits, elective procedures, and surgeries. If it is a dental emergency the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has recommended that dentists see patients for emergency visits and procedures for the coming several weeks. The American Dental Association (ADA) has requested dentists to use their own clinical judgment in determining which patients need urgent and emergency care.
3) Do not take supplements without consulting your dentist: Some people have recommended that persons take zinc to kill the Covid-19 virus. However, there is no clinical evidence that zinc can prevent or successfully treat Coronavirus. Zinc can be one of the ingredients in toothpaste and has antibacterial properties. It plays a critical role in our bodies, including helping the function of a healthy immune system. However, it cannot kill or prevent Coronavirus.
4) Eat a healthy diet: It is understandable that you may take many comfort foods during this difficult time. However, it is important to know how to keep gums healthy. So, do try to monitor your diet, especially your intake of sugary, citrus, or sticky foods and beverages. Also, avoid the intake of sodas, coffee, hard candies, and potato chips, as these can have a negative impact on your teeth. Moderation when it comes to food is key to avoid the build-up of plaque and tooth staining caused by these foods and beverages.
5) Practice Mindfulness: Teeth grinding or jaw clenching are common reactions to stress. This can cause headaches, earaches, and jaw pain, which is not something you want to be dealing with during this outbreak. You should practice mindfulness during this stressful situation. You should remind yourself to unclench your jaw and relax your facial muscles. You can also practice jaw exercises at home to reduce the tension in your facial muscles.
These are just some of the recommendations that you need to follow to take care of your teeth during this outbreak. These recommendations may result in making your teeth stronger during the Covid-19 outbreak. Also, do ensure that you follow the recommendations laid down by the CDC and practice social distancing. This means keeping a healthy distance from other people. Also, ensure that you wash your hands regularly after being in contact with other people or objects.
We, at the Harbour Pointe Oral maxillofacial & Advanced Implant Surgery, understand what most of our clients are going through during this Covid-19 outbreak. This is why we are making special efforts to make our practice as safe and hygienic as possible. Along with the high levels of disinfection and sterilization that we have always followed, we are also introducing some other measures to enhance the level of prevention in our office.
Some of these include minimizing community surface areas; requesting patients to brush and rinse prior to coming to the office; ensuring surface disinfectant wipe-downs of commonly touched areas; greeting our patients without a handshake, and requesting patients to wash their hands immediately upon arrival.
Besides this measure we, at Harbour Pointe will be evaluating each patient and appointment individually. Elderly people, who are over 65 years, especially those with underlying medical conditions, such as heart disease, lung disease, and diabetes, may be asked to reschedule appointments that are not emergencies.
While Dr. Hart and Dr. Isdith will strive, as always, to be available for their patients and for all emergencies, they recommend that you practice responsible behavior, such as quarantining yourself if you have experienced flu-like symptoms within the last 14 days. They also recommend that you minimize the number of persons accompanying the patient to the clinic, thereby ensuring social distancing.
So, now you know how to keep healthy teeth, where to go for emergency dental visits, and also how to care for your teeth and mouth during this Covid-19 outbreak. Harbour Pointe is always there for their patients to ensure their optimal oral and dental health. This is especially so, during these trying times!
For more information about dental procedures and solutions during the Covid-19 outbreak, consult Dr. Brian Hart and Dr. Kathleen Isdith at 425-353-1009 or at hporalsurgery@gmail.com or go to our website https://www.harbourpointeoralsurgery.net for more information.