Summer is in full swing, and your teeth are probably low on your priority list. But, with just a little effort, you can help your mouth stay healthy and keep your teeth safe. Here are five things you might not think about your teeth and the summer season.

Brush Your Teeth After Swimming

After a dip in the neighborhood pool, chances are you are AREN’T thinking about brushing your teeth….. But some swimming pools have extra high chlorine levels that can weaken your teeth.  By brushing your teeth after swimming in a chlorinated pool you can help safeguard your teeth from the harmful chemicals that pools expose them to.

Keep Hydrated to Avoid Dry Mouth

Summer heat can dry out your body, especially as you lose more fluids to sweat.  Your mouth can be affected by summertime heat as the moisture from your mouth is also affected. Without the necessary saliva that you need in your mouth, you can develop dry mouth. Dry mouth may seem non-threatening, until you learn how tooth decay loves to grow on weakened tooth enamel–a result of drier conditions in your mouth. Saliva washes away leftover food debris thus reducing the plaque build-up on your teeth. 30 percent of all tooth decay in older adults is caused by dry mouth, according to the Oral Cancer Foundation.

How much water you need per day varies depending your body and your activity levels. The U.S. National Research Council recommends eight to ten eight-ounce glasses a day. Another common method for determining your water needs is to divide your body weight in half (using pounds), then drink that many ounces.

Listen to your body. Even if your workout is in the water, you are still sweating and losing water.

Protect Your Smile with a Mouthguard

Use a mouthguard.  Summer time activities mean you are more likely to be involved in an activity that would result in an oral injury. Did you know that dental-related injuries are actually the most common kind of facial injury to take place during sports. According to the National Youth Sports Foundation for Safety, athletes who are not wearing mouth guards are actually 60 times more likely to suffer damage to their teeth than athletes who are using mouthguards.

Common summer sports that require mouthguards include: bicycling, baseball/softball, sand volleyball, surfing and skateboarding.

Don’t Use Your Teeth to Open Things

Don’t open that lemonade or soda with your teeth! Teeth are not to be used as tools! Protect your teeth by not using them improperly. Opening things with your teeth can chip, break or fracture your teeth. Some of these fractures are so small you don’t even detect them, but decay can enter and jeopardize the health of that tooth!  Using your teeth to open things can also cause a filling to break or mess up your smile in other ways that are just NOT worth it. Reach for the scissors or the bottle opener, but do NOT use your teeth as tools.

Guard Your Smile with Sunscreen on Your Oft-Forgotten Lips!

When you are applying sunscreen to your face, how often do you remember to put sunscreen on your lips? One good burn might help you remember in the future when you can’t smile for  a few days because they are so chapped, swollen or cracked. Don’t even go there! Lip balms and chapsticks are available with SPF 15 (minimum you should use) to help protect the skin of your mouth. No, you can’t sunburn your teeth, but your lips are often forgotten when you apply sunscreen to your face, and let’s face it, your lips protect your teeth and your smile! Keep your lips in full-smile mode and cracking away!

Call for an Appointment and to Learn Dental Tips and Tricks

Summer is a great time to schedule an exam or a teeth whitening as schedules slow down from the rigors of the constantly-moving school year. Mountain Aire Dentistry offers state-of-the-art family dentistry and cosmetic dentistry. Call for your appointment today at  (303) 731-7755. We look forward to meeting you and your family!