The COVID-19 pandemic has caused a lot of changes to our daily lives. For dental offices, it means that routine preventative care appointments are canceled or postponed. So what should you do if you missed your regular dental checkup? Dr. Kim Westermann, a dentist in Louisville, KY, gives you some advice.
Get Your Appointment Rescheduled
Just because you missed it this time doesn’t mean you should wait for a full year to pass until you get your next preventative care checkup and cleaning. If your appointment was canceled, we may have already reached out to get you rescheduled. If not, call us or use our online scheduling tool to make sure you get something set up for what’s hopefully the near future.
Keep Up a Regular Oral Healthcare Routine
It can be hard to adjust and cope when our regular routine is upended. It may also be causing changes to your mood that make it more difficult for day-to-day life. Small things can fall by the wayside when you’re adjusting to working from home or helping your children with online learning.
However, keeping up with brushing and flossing is important if you want to avoid tooth decay or gum disease. It may be hard, but it’s essential to make it something you remember. Since you can’t really brush too much, you can brush and floss after every meal if that helps you remember better. Or, set an alarm or reminder on your phone for mornings and evenings. The whole house can be reminded then!
Try to Have a Balanced and Healthy Diet
With COVID-19, grocery store hours may be limited, as are your trips there. There’s also been an issue with keeping things in stock. This can make it hard to get the healthier things you’ve been looking for. But there are some simple things you can do that are normally pretty easy, even with the limits on grocery stores.
For starters, avoid eating or drinking things with excess sugar. Sugar is one of the things that are most harmful to your teeth. Harmful bacteria in your mouth use sugar as the main food source. These bacteria then release an acidic byproduct that erodes the enamel on your teeth. This is what leads to cavities, further tooth decay, and the potential need for a root canal or tooth extraction.
Another thing that can help immensely is drinking water as your primary beverage. If you’re drinking tap water, there’s a good chance that it’s supplemented with fluoride. This helps strengthen the enamel on your teeth. Water is also good for keeping your mouth hydrated. It helps rinse away excess sugars and food particles that collect in and around your teeth.
Your Dentist in Louisville, Kentucky
We’re ready to see you when the crisis is over. It’s also important that you get your teeth checked out after this stressful time ends. Call us or schedule an appointment online for the future. We hope we’ll be seeing your smile in our office soon!