Seasonal Habits That Are Bad For Your Teeth

A change in seasons can have an impact on our teeth advises local Canterbury dentist

Summer seems to be trying to hold on by the skin of its teeth, at least for now, but most of us will have noticed the first signs of autumn appearing. That early morning ‘nip’ and the gradual browning and falling of leaves tells us that colder weather is certainly on its way and we can pack our tee shirts away for a few months at least.

Whilst each season brings its pleasures and problems, it might pass you by that they can also have an affect on our teeth and gums as we make changes to adapt. Here at Bradley and Partners Dental and Implant Clinic, we have put together a few things which we feel might have an impact on your teeth as Autumn starts to take hold.

Increase in sugary ‘comfort’ food and drinks

As the colder weather arrives, the chances of us eating and drinking colder food and drinks also recedes. After a long autumnal walk, the first thing we are likely to do when we arrive back home is to make ourselves a nice warm drink. Quite often these will be ‘boosted’ with additional sugar or ‘extras’ that contain it. A thick chocolate drink is high enough in sugar on its own, but increasingly, they are topped with extras such as whipped cream, marshmallows and chocolate. Whilst the odd treat may not do too much damage, it is best not to make a habit of this and to look for alternatives to warm you up.

Instead of these high sugar drinks, why not make a quick soup before you go out so that it is ready to eat when you get back home? It will warm you up and also provide useful nutrition whilst avoiding the high sugar content of many ‘warming’ hot drinks.

Tooth sensitivity

This is a significant problem for a lot of people, many of whom have probably been dreading the end of summer and will not be looking forward to the cold wind passing over their teeth, causing them to wince in pain and discomfort. Much tooth sensitivity is caused by enamel that has been damaged, possibly through the consumption of too many acidic and high sugar drinks. Excessive brushing can also cause this, but either way, significant discomfort can result.

There are options available for our Canterbury patients who suffer from this problem. One long term solution would be to have your teeth restored with dental veneers which replaces the damaged enamel and provides a protective layer that shields the more sensitive parts of the teeth from the cold autumnal winds. It is also a good solution longer term because veneers can last for ten years or more when cared for properly.

If you don’t wish to have this procedure, another option is to try a ‘sensitive teeth’ toothpaste which helps to ease any discomfort. This might help but will depend on how severe the problem is.

Bonfire toffee and Halloween sweets

Within the space of a few days, there are opportunities galore to overindulge in sticky and sugary ‘treats’. Both bonfire toffee and the various sweets that we are given at Halloween can have an adverse effect on our teeth. Bonfire toffee has broken more than a few teeth in its time and as well as pulling out some fillings, indeed the quantity of sweets consumed around Halloween by our children is sometimes scarier than Halloween itself!

If you must eat bonfire toffee, do try to be careful and don’t ‘crunch’ down hard on it. If you do, you might be paying us a visit for an emergency appointment to restore a broken or chipped tooth. As for Halloween, it is probably unrealistic to expect our children not to eat any of the sweets that they receive, but it is also worth remembering that a large part of the fun of Halloween for them is the dressing up and ‘trick or treating’. Instead of allowing them to eat all the sweets (usually in a pretty short period of time!), why not allow them a few and then ‘trade’ the rest for a more tooth friendly treat such as a visit to the cinema?

Dehydration

We tend to associate dehydration with the hotter summer months but it can happen at any time of the year. Although sweating in the colder weather might seem strange, it still occurs and functions to help us regulate our body temperature. Wrapping up well for a walk is one thing, but the physical exercise of doing so will raise our body heat and cause us to sweat, eventually leading to dehydration if we don’t replace lost fluids. As we have mentioned before, dehydration is a key contributor to gum disease as a dry mouth allows bacteria to breed faster.  So even if the weather is cold, make sure that you drink plenty of water throughout the day to prevent yourself from becoming dehydrated, particularly if you are exercising.

If you suffer from discomfort with your teeth in the colder weather, why not have a chat with one of our dental team about the solutions available? We will help you to make an informed choice about the best treatment for your own personal circumstances. Please call us today on 01227 463529 to arrange an appointment.