Teeth tips

When the weather gets hot, we all know to wear suncream to protect our skin from UV rays. But what about our teeth?

Did you know, when the sun’s rays get hotter, our teeth can become sensitive? Dr Khaled Kasem, Chief Orthodontist at Impress explains his top tips in protecting our teeth this August.

1) Cold, stay away

When it is hot, the protective enamel on your teeth will expand and contract at different rates. This causes feelings of sensitivity as the protective layer on your tooth stretches and shrinks leaving areas of the tooth exposed.

Ditch ice-cold drinks for room temperature beverages to help ward off tooth sensitivity.

2) Water, water!

Dehydration is common in the summer.

Being dehydrated causes saliva, aka spit, production to slow down. Spit is essential for washing away bacteria and bits of food after eating. Without a healthy amount of saliva, the bacteria and bits of food are left to fester, increasing chances of decay and cavities.

Ensure you drink at least two litres of water a day to keep dehydration at bay and replace lost saliva.

3) Ice ice, baby

In hot weather, it is common to rely on ice to keep you cold. However, chewing on hard substances like ice can leave your teeth vulnerable to dental emergencies such as chipped, cracked, or broken teeth, or loosened crowns.

Whatever your cooling agent of choice, remember your teeth are with you for the rest of your life so you don’t want to risk dental emergencies for five minutes of relief!

4) Sporting weather

You may have been waiting all year to get involved in outdoor sport activities but doing so could land you with micro injuries such as chips and cracks in your teeth that you may not notice at first.

It can be difficult to spot such injuries during a game, so wear a mouthguard for physical activities if you can.