You may not think of oral hygiene when cold winter weather hits, but you should. As we head into the cooler months, it’s important to know how to help keep our lips, teeth, and gums healthy. Below are five tips to help keep your oral health in tip-top condition while you fight the winter chill.

1. Don’t forget your lips! Dry and chapped lips are a common problem in cold weather. Your lips are a part of your overall oral health and it’s important to protect them from exposure to cold weather, high winds, and UV rays (even on those overcast days). Wearing a daily lip balm with at least an SPF 15 and drinking plenty of water to hydrate your skin can help protect your lips this winter.

2. Take care of sensitive teeth. It’s not just your hands that feel the harsh cold weather—your teeth feel it, too! Cold temperatures and wind can leave your teeth feeling sore and even more so if you already have sensitive teeth. Try using a special toothpaste for sensitive teeth in the winter months.

3. Stay hydrated. As mentioned before, we need to keep hydrated to protect our lips, but also our entire mouth! Drinking plenty of water throughout the day not only keeps skin and lips hydrated but can also help rinse sugar, acid, germs, and food particles off your teeth. Drinking water also means we create more saliva which helps keep our teeth naturally clean.

4. Go easy on the hot chocolate and other sweets. While cold weather tends to make us crave hot chocolate, sugary sweets, and other comfort foods, these aren’t often the best things for our teeth. Try to limit drinks and foods with too much sugar and if you do indulge, try to rinse your mouth with water afterward! If you really can’t turn down that hot chocolate, make it with a milk base so your teeth still gain the benefit of calcium.

6. Keep your checkup appointment!  You may be tempted to stay inside, but you still need to keep your regular six-month check-up and cleaning.

Schedule an Appointment

We’d love to see you this winter to ensure your mouth stays healthy and beautiful. Make an appointment with us today and we’ll get you through the cold weather with a happy smile.