Autumnal Challenges For Your Oral Health

Can seasonal changes that we make have a negative effect on our teeth and gums?

There is no denying that we have had a good summer, for a change, in the UK, something that most of us are probably grateful for. All good things come to an end though and changes in the weather indicate that the cooler months have just started. While there might still be some good weather around, we need to get ready for cooler, wetter and darker days. Generally, we adapt to these and change our routine accordingly, but sometimes these changes are not always good news for our teeth.

Most of the things that we will discuss below can be counteracted by using a bit of common sense and perhaps making a few small adjustments. Our team are always on hand as well if you do run into problems and you can call us for advice or book an appointment to see a dentist at The Dental Centre Bedford.

Increase in sugary food and drinks

As the nights roll in earlier and the weather cools down, we tend to reduce our consumption of salads and lighter meals and instead reach for more comforting foods. Often these are much higher in fats and sugars. This would have made sense in primitive times when people were more exposed to the elements, but for most of us nowadays, we have warm homes to live in. By continuing to follow this approach though, and especially if we live a sedentary lifestyle as well, we are more likely to suffer from obesity and related health issues such as diabetes. This diet, higher in sugar then, can not only lead to problems like tooth decay due to the sugar, but gum disease and other oral infections which diabetics are more prone to.

Do try then, to monitor your diet and try to keep your sugar intake to a sensible level.

Dry mouth

As the colder weather arrives, the central heating is turned on and consequently, most of us live in a drier environment. This can often lead to us having a drier mouth than usual. As some of our Bedford dental patients will be aware, a drier mouth means that bacteria numbers can grow due to the warm dry environment combined with a lack of salvia to keep things under control. When this happens, gum disease is a distinct possibility, and the latter stage especially, known as periodontitis, can be particularly problematic and could lead to tooth loss if not treated soon enough.

You probably won’t want to turn the heating off as the weather cools down but you should ideally make sure that you drink more water to prevent dehydration from happening when you do have it on.

Lowered immunity

We have mentioned reduced immune systems earlier when discussing diabetes. Generally though, there can also be a bit of a dip in this as the colder weather arrives. Colds and flus become more common as we all close the windows and gather inside together more, helping viruses to spread. When we become ill, even with a regular cold, we tend to slacken a bit in our diet and oral health care. We would all like to avoid these viruses of course but sometimes this just isn’t possible. If you do succumb to a virus, do try to stay hydrated, and, even if it takes more effort, do remember to make the effort to brush your teeth both morning and night, however exhausted you might feel. Failing to do this could lead to gum disease and/or tooth decay.

Hydration

We mentioned this earlier in relation to central heating, but this is a general problem when the weather turns colder. The fact is that we tend to drink more when it is hot but our bodies still need hydrating even when it is cold. This applies even more if you take part in sports. You should still take water on board when exercising, even, or especially, if you are in the cold air. Make sure that it is water though and not one of the very sugary and acidic sports or energy drinks available. These can damage the enamel on your teeth and may lead to tooth decay or sensitive teeth through enamel erosion, particularly when used in excess.

Motivation

Even when we feel healthy during the longer and darker months, it can still take more effort to motivate ourselves and we may have a tendency to ‘hibernate’ and do less than we do in the summer months. This is probably a legacy of times when people preserved their heat and body fat to enable them to survive the winter. This is unnecessary for most of us now and our lethargy and apathy at this time can be challenged with a bit of effort. Areas that can affect our teeth are the lack of motivation to brush and floss as we should and also to rely more on ready prepared foods that are higher in sugar, rather than preparing our own.

As we transition from one season to another then, take a few minutes to consider how any changes that you might make could have an impact on your oral health and try to adjust accordingly. If you would like any further advice or would like to make an appointment at The Dental Centre Bedford, please call our helpful reception team on 01234 819868.