{"id":184,"date":"2018-12-01T20:52:46","date_gmt":"2018-12-01T20:52:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.mitchellsmiledesign.com\/blog\/?p=184"},"modified":"2022-03-23T13:09:49","modified_gmt":"2022-03-23T13:09:49","slug":"easy-flu-season-tips-to-keep-your-mouth-healthy-while-sick","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mitchellsmiledesign.com\/blog\/2018\/12\/01\/easy-flu-season-tips-to-keep-your-mouth-healthy-while-sick\/","title":{"rendered":"Easy Flu Season Tips to Keep Your Mouth Healthy While Sick"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"Woman<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

With winter officially here, have you gotten sick yet? Runny\nnoses and sore throats can be a real annoyance, but it\u2019s important that you\ndon\u2019t forget to take care of your oral health, even if your overall health is\nunder attack. Keep reading to learn some easy cold and flu season tips to keep\nyour teeth and gums healthy, while combatting sickness at the same time. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Tip #1: Brush Your Teeth Well<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s easy to skip your brushing and flossing routine when\nyou\u2019re sick, but it\u2019s important to keep your teeth clean even when you\u2019re down\nfor the count. Be sure to brush twice a day and floss once a day to remove\nplaque and food debris that collects in the mouth. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tip #2: Stay Hydrated<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

When you\u2019re sick, it\u2019s vital to your body to stay hydrated to help fight off infection. When it comes to your oral health, dry mouth can be a real problem, which is another reason to stay hydrated. Saliva is key in washing away bacteria that causes cavities and gum disease. If your mouth is dry, it promotes the growth of harmful bacteria. So, drink water frequently, and you can even reach for the classic bowl of soup to intake more liquids. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tip #3: Saltwater Can Help<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Take a tablespoon of saltwater and dissolve it into a glass\nof warm water. After, gargle and spit until you\u2019ve finished your cup. Surprisingly,\nthis cuts down on harmful bacteria in your mouth and throat that can collect,\nespecially when sick. It will also reduce some of the effects of bad breath and\ncavity-causing plaque. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tip #4: Pick Sugar-Free Medication<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Popular medications like cough drops and cough syrup provide\nyou relief when sick, but many of these products are full of sugar for the\ntaste. This sugar coats your teeth when using cough syrup, and it gets in your\nsaliva when sucking on cough drops. Both of these medications can increase your\nrisk of cavities and gum disease. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Your best bet is to try to pick products that are\nsugar-free. You can look for items containing xylitol or sucralose, which are\npopular sugar substitutes that still taste good. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tip #5: Toss Your Toothbrush<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Once you\u2019ve beaten your sickness, the only thing left to do\nis to toss your toothbrush. Your old brush can be home to bacteria that will\nreinfect you if you decide to use it again. That\u2019s why it\u2019s important to throw\nit away as soon as you start to feel better. \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Use these easy tips from your dentist to stay\non top of your oral health<\/a> while battling annoying cold and flu\nsymptoms during this season of sickness. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Meet the Dentist<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Dr. Bradley Mitchell takes pride in developing lasting relationships with his patients in Oklahoma City to deliver them quality dentistry. He believes in patient education, which is why he likes giving tips on how to stay healthy during the cold and flu season. He is the owner and chief dentist at Mitchell Smile Design, and he can be contacted through his website<\/a> or by phone at (405) 755-2670 for any questions. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

With winter officially here, have you gotten sick yet? Runny noses and sore throats can be a real annoyance, but it\u2019s important that you don\u2019t forget to take care of your oral health, even if your overall health is under attack. Keep reading to learn some easy cold and flu season tips to keep your […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-184","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mitchellsmiledesign.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/184","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mitchellsmiledesign.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mitchellsmiledesign.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mitchellsmiledesign.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mitchellsmiledesign.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=184"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.mitchellsmiledesign.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/184\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":188,"href":"https:\/\/www.mitchellsmiledesign.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/184\/revisions\/188"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mitchellsmiledesign.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=184"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mitchellsmiledesign.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=184"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mitchellsmiledesign.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=184"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}