BEWARE THESE SUMMER DENTAL DANGERS

The Summer sun is glorious, but it brings a dark tide of hidden dangers to our teeth. And with many dentists doing a disappearing act, it’s definitely worth taking precautions to protect your own smile through the hot weather.

Clear skies, BBQs and garden parties are not situations we’d typically associate with dental nightmares but much like in Jaws, there’s often a concealed menace slowly creeping up on us and our loved ones. We’ve pulled together the three main culprits with tips to head them off in advance where possible or minimise any damage if they’ve already struck.

Cracked or Lost Teeth

This is the most obvious category with one of the most common causes of summer dental trauma being garden games. Whether you and yours favour rough and tumble action or a more sedate game of cricket, you’re very unlikely to be wearing a mouth guard which means your teeth are at constant risk, and that’s before we get started on the overenthusiastic swing of a croquet mallet!

In addition to sports, BBQ food and drink is also another seasonal source of oral distress with teeth getting cracked after biting down on unseen bones or chewing the ice at the bottom of your glass. If this does happen, follow our emergency guide on tooth loss to stabilise the situation and rescue your smile.

Tooth Decay

You’re probably hearing the ice cream van jingle wherever you go right now but watch out, these merchants of dental misery are making profits from repeat business while your teeth pay the blood price. Try to take it easy on the ice cream and remember you can always sub in frozen plain yoghurt for a more tooth-friendly treat.

Equally fizzy pop, fruit juice and alcoholic drinks are all bad news for your teeth. Fizz, sugar and the tendency to be drunk over an extended period of time push them high up on the risk list for our oral health. For tips on minimising their impact check out last year’s exposé on Prosecco Teeth.

Gum Disease

We round out our summer trilogy of terror with gum disease caused by dehydration. As we sweat our way through the latest heatwave, our bodies will be producing less saliva than usual which greatly reduces our mouth’s ability to protect itself. Sufferers can tell you that dry mouth is uncomfortable and causes bad breath so make sure to keep hydrated and remember you can always count on our Dr Denti Mouthwash Tablets as a tasty way to freshen up.

Protect your own teeth

Affordable dental treatment is further out of reach than it has ever been in our lifetimes. As more of us feel abandoned by NHS Dentistry it’s become even more important to take dental matters into our own hands. You can’t rely on the dentist to be there when you need them so take the time to educate yourself on effective home dental treatments and keep a well-stocked Dental First Aid Kit to see you through those emergencies.

Our Dr Denti Home-Use Range was specifically designed to safely help people through day-to-day dental mishaps where professional help is unavailable. Our simple, yet effective products are widely available from pharmacies or online retailers. If you’d like more details on our products and where you can buy them, please email our office at info@gapdental.com or give us a call on 01474 560 618.