You are likely feeling under the weather with a cold or flu, and you probably have many questions about brushing your teeth even if you are feeling sick. It is definitely important to care for your body when you are feeling ill, and that especially includes brushing your teeth.
Don’t worry if you feel that your mouth might not get cleaner or you might infect your toothbrush. Here are a few ways to take care of your teeth if you get sick:
1. Practice Proper Dental Care
Even when you have a cold or flu, it is important to still be brushing and flossing your teeth regularly. You will still be cleaning your teeth as normal without your disease affecting the performance of your toothbrush and toothpaste. Don’t worry if you think it won’t be as effective, because it definitely will. One thing to be aware of, though, is to not share your toothbrush with anybody, but especially when you get sick.
Which might raise the question: Do you need to replace your toothbrush after you have been sick? Surprisingly, you likely do not need to. Your immune system makes it so that your toothbrush will not allow re-entry for harmful bacteria into your mouth. You can replace your toothbrush, if you want to, and if you have been using your brush for a while, now.
2. If You Vomit, Rinse Your Mouth Well
Many illnesses such as the flu may cause you to throw up. Because of what happens during vomiting, you might be alarmed to brush your teeth afterwards, but Prince George dentists say it is best to wait a while. When vomiting occurs, the juices in your stomach are what coat your teeth, and by brushing them, the coating will spread. Stomach juices are acidic, and can cause damage to your teeth’s outer layer.
What you should do instead is rinse your mouth out, either with water, water and baking soda, or a diluted mouthwash. Wait for at least 30 minutes afterwards until you brush your teeth once more.
3. Keep Drinking Plenty of Water
When you are sick, you will need to drink a lot of water and stay hydrated. Dry mouth is a common occurrence as you are sick, and it might also give way to tooth decay if untreated. In fact, you could also experience a dry mouth as a side effect for a medication that you might be taking to treat your illness. Be sure that you get plenty of water so that you maintain a moderate level of saliva.
Water is the safest fluid to drink when sick, and there is no close second. A sports drink is known to restore electrolytes in the body, but they are known to contain lots of sugar that can cause many other problems, according to Prince George dentists. If you insist on a sports drink, make sure that it is a sugar free drink.
4. Take Cough Drops, Minus Sugar
To prevent a terrible and irritating cough from happening, be sure that you take sugar free cough drops. There are many sugary cough drops, and sugar is what makes cough drops more appetizing, but don’t fall for it. It’s like sucking on a candy, and having something sugary inside your mouth for that long can lead to attracting harmful bacteria that craves sugar. Always look for sugar-free cough drops and enjoy the same results without any of the risks involved. If you aren’t sure whether or not a certain pack of cough drops contains sugar, search for the term “high fructose corn syrup”.