Due to COVID-19, dental practices across the country have only been open for emergency dentistry. Now that things are slowly starting to open up, we’re able to offer our regular services again, with precautions. But what happens if you had a dental appointment scheduled during the time we were closed? Dr. Sahil Goyal, a dentist in Columbia, MD, offers some advice.
Reschedule Your Appointment
Just because it isn’t a dental emergency doesn’t mean your dental appointment isn’t important. For example, a pediatric dentistry appointment is crucial for the oral health of the child. It’s essential to make sure that the appointment is still done. We may have already reached out to you to get your appointment rescheduled. If not, call us or use our online scheduling tool.
Keep Up With a Home Oral Health Routine
Especially since your appointment was missed, you want to make sure you’re keeping up with your oral health at home. Particularly during the pandemic, it can be hard to make sure you’re doing all the little things in life. However, if you don’t brush and floss your teeth at least twice a day, you’re prone to developing issues with tooth decay and gum disease.
Try setting an alarm for the mornings and evenings to make sure you’re getting at least two a day in. This can also help other members of your household to remember. It also doesn’t hurt if you’re brushing them more than that. If it helps you to remember better, brush and floss after every meal. This has the added benefit of getting food particles out from between your teeth quickly.
Watch What You’re Consuming
Your diet can have more of an impact on your oral health than you may realize. During this crisis, it’s been hard to get all of the foods you may normally purchase. Grocery stores have had limited hours and struggled to keep their shelves fully stocked. But there are some simple things you can do with your diet to benefit your oral health.
First, avoid consuming too much sugar. Sugar is one of the worst things you can eat for your teeth. Harmful oral bacteria use sugar as their primary food source and then emit an acidic byproduct. This byproduct eats through the enamel on your teeth. It leads too tooth decay, which can be a cause for dental fillings, root canals, or even a tooth extraction. The more sugar you eat, the more this byproduct is released in the mouth.
Also, make water the primary beverage you’re drinking. It doesn’t contain hidden sugars and additives like other drinks might. If you’re drinking tap water, there’s a good chance it’s fortified with fluoride to strengthen your tooth enamel. Even if it isn’t, water is still the best at keeping your mouth hydrated. It helps to rinse away sugars and food particles from the smile.
Your Dentist in Columbia, Maryland
We’ll make sure the pandemic hasn’t messed up your smile. Call us or schedule an appointment online!