Sleepless nights, runny noses, and stuffy-feeling heads might be in your near future if you have a cold or the flu. There are multitudes of home remedies you could use, but some of them can actually cause dental damage! Read on to learn a few remedies that can hurt your pearly whites, and some flu season tips for how to combat damage.
Drink Orange Juice at Mealtime
Citrus drinks like orange juice are chock full of vitamin C, which is essential in recovering from a cold because it boosts your immune system. However, these drinks are also highly acidic, which softens your tooth enamel. The best way to combat this is to drink your orange juice all at once, rather than sipping it constantly throughout the day. Then, you can just brush your teeth afterwards.
Drink Tea Through a Straw
Tea is commonly used as a home remedy for colds, and for good reason. The hot beverage can feel great on a sore throat, and might even be able to soothe a troubled stomach. If you’re not careful, though, it can also erode your enamel and stain your teeth. One way to lessen the problem is to consume your tea through a straw. The drink will then bypass your teeth and not cause nearly as much dental damage.
Choose Pills Instead of Liquid Medication
Liquid cold medicine is often thick, sticky, and full of sugar, meaning it can leave behind a film of sugar on your teeth that can contribute to decay. Additionally, some of these medications contain alcohol, which cause dry mouth, making it more difficult for your saliva to wash away this sticky coat of medicine.
To eliminate this threat to your pearly whites, stick to gel caps or pills instead of liquid medication. If this isn’t an option, take your medication with a meal and then brush your teeth afterward to remove the sugar.
Opt for Sugar-Free Cough Drops
Lozenges and cough drops are meant to dissolve slowly and coat your mouth and throat with their soothing ingredients. Unfortunately, one of these ingredients is usually sugar. When you suck on a sugary product for a long time, like you do with a cough drop, the sugar has ample time to attract bacteria that causes tooth decay. Instead, choose cough drops and lozenges without sugar.
Flu season may be rough, but stick to these tips and you should be good to go!
About the Author
Dr. Steven Crovatto is a dentist who earned his Doctor of Dental Medicine degree at the University of Florida with Honors. He is also the former president of the Clay County Dental Society. He particularly enjoys performing restorative care for patients in need. For more flu season tips, you can always contact Dr. Crovatto by clicking here or calling (904) 272-0800.