{"id":796,"date":"2019-12-07T15:34:32","date_gmt":"2019-12-07T15:34:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.drbobbycarmen.com\/blog\/?p=796"},"modified":"2020-01-08T15:34:55","modified_gmt":"2020-01-08T15:34:55","slug":"how-to-keep-you-and-your-teeth-healthy-during-flu-season","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.drbobbycarmen.com\/blog\/2019\/12\/how-to-keep-you-and-your-teeth-healthy-during-flu-season\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Keep You and Your Teeth Healthy During Flu Season"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"alignleft\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" src=\"https:\/\/www.drbobbycarmen.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/AdobeStock_77412927-300x200.jpeg\" alt=\"Cold remedies for healthy teeth\" class=\"wp-image-797\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.drbobbycarmen.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/AdobeStock_77412927-300x200.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/www.drbobbycarmen.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/AdobeStock_77412927-768x512.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/www.drbobbycarmen.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/AdobeStock_77412927-1024x683.jpeg 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>When you\u2019re sick everything is affected: your concentration,\nyour appetite, your temperature, your skin, and even your oral health! Studies\nsuggest that your oral health and overall health are closely related, and the\nwellbeing of one greatly impacts the other. Getting sick can put you at a much\nhigher risk of dental issues like cavities and gum disease, and the increased\nlevels of bacteria can keep you from getting better quickly. As you take care\nof the rest of your body, pay attention to your mouth when you\u2019re sick. Your\ndentist in Norman has the best tips for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.drbobbycarmen.com\/our-services.html\">protecting\nyour teeth<\/a> while you stay healthy during the flu season.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<!--more-->\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Keep Your Mouth Clean<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>You\u2019re supposed to have some bacteria in your mouth. This\n\u201cgood bacteria\u201d helps break down food as you eat it, but \u201cbad bacteria\u201d can\ndevelop when you eat too many sugary foods. When you get sick, even more\nbacteria are introduced into your mouth, which can speed up the formation of\ncavities and intensity of gum disease. Keep your mouth as clean as you can\nwhile you\u2019re sick by:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Brushing twice a day for two minutes, even when\nyou\u2019re tired<\/li><li>Use mouthwash to help clear out bad bacteria<\/li><li>Throw out your toothbrush once you feel better\nto avoid reinfection<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\n\nFight Cavities and Your Cold\n\n<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>One of the best things you can do to fight off any kind of cold, sickness, or flu is to stay hydrated. If your body doesn\u2019t have enough water, your immune system will have a more difficult time fighting off the infection and your internal systems won\u2019t function as well. Staying hydrated also keeps your mouth healthy by cleaning out lingering plaque, hindering the growth of bacteria, and strengthening your enamel. Drink plenty of water, especially if you\u2019re taking medications like decongestants, antihistamines, or painkillers that can cause dry mouth as a side effect. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As you check your medications for side effects like dry\nmouth, look at their sugar content. Most flavorful medicines will have large\namounts of sugar. Swallowing cough syrup and letting cough drops dissolve in\nyour mouth coats your teeth in a layer of sticky sugar that can quickly form\ncavities. When choosing which medicine to help you fight off your sickness,\nchoose something that will help you fight off cavities too by using sugar-free\nmedications when available. &nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\n\nProtect Your Teeth\n\n<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>A common and unfortunate side effect of some viruses is vomiting. You may be tempted to brush off that awful taste right away, but that would harm your teeth. The stomach acids that encounter your teeth when you vomit are very powerful, and if you brush too soon those acids can do more damage to your enamel. Instead, rinse out your mouth with water and wait to brush for at least 30 minutes. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Another well-tested defense against sickness is gargling\nsaltwater. This is especially helpful for sore throats and sinus infections,\nwhere bacteria have built up in the back of your mouth. Rinsing your mouth with\nsaltwater will clean out the bacteria, while the compounds in the salt help\ndisinfect your mouth. Try dissolving a tablespoon of salt into a warm glass of\nwater and gargling with it to clear out your tongue, gums, teeth, and throat. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you get sick this season, take care of your body,\nincluding your mouth! Keep these tips in mind to protect your teeth while you\nfight off sickness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">About the Author<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Dr. Bobby J. Carmen is a cosmetic, restorative, and\nimplant dentist based in Norman, OK. He is a graduate of the University of\nOklahoma College of Dentistry and holds an active membership in the American\nAcademy of Cosmetic Dentistry. He is proud to help his patients build and\nmaintain happy, healthy smiles all year long. If you\u2019d like to know more about\nthe article you just read, he can be contacted via his <\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.drbobbycarmen.com\/contact.html\"><em>website<\/em><\/a><em> or\nat <strong>(405) 364-2200. <\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>When you\u2019re sick everything is affected: your concentration, your appetite, your temperature, your skin, and even your oral health! Studies suggest that your oral health and overall health are closely related, and the wellbeing of one greatly impacts the other. Getting sick can put you at a much higher risk of dental issues like cavities [&hellip;]<\/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-796","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.drbobbycarmen.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/796","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.drbobbycarmen.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.drbobbycarmen.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.drbobbycarmen.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.drbobbycarmen.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=796"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.drbobbycarmen.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/796\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":798,"href":"https:\/\/www.drbobbycarmen.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/796\/revisions\/798"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.drbobbycarmen.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=796"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.drbobbycarmen.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=796"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.drbobbycarmen.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=796"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}