Caring for Your Teeth While Battling Illness

Tips for Keeping Mouths Clean When Bodies Are Sick

When sicknesses like the COVID, the flu, common colds, or pesky allergies disrupt our systems and routines, it’s important to take care of our bodies so we can recover. Believe it or not, this includes your mouth and teeth!

Dental hygiene is very important when we’re sick. Here are three dental hygiene tips to remember when battling an illness.

Watch What You Ingest

Being sick takes a lot out of you, so remember to nourish yourself properly for a speedy recovery!

Stay Hydrated. Consuming liquids when you’re feeling under the weather prevents bacteria from entering the body. This is especially important when taking medicines like antihistamines, decongestants, and pain relievers which can cause dry mouth issues. Some good choices for this are:

woman holds drinking mug while blowing into kleenex — *Get in additional liquids by making drinks like hot tea or a cup of broth.*

Water – arguably the best option when it comes to hydration.
Hot tea is great for sore throats as long as you don’t add a lot of sugar or lemon juice! Sugar can lead to cavities while lemons are highly acidic and can eat away at your enamel. If you can, try to drink it plain!
Sports drinks replenish electrolytes and are a good option for weakened bodies. Unfortunately, many of these drinks are high in sugar, so try find sugar-free options to sip on.
Broth-based soups are also an excellent liquid option that offer comfort and nourishment while sick. Just make sure you are reading the label! Starchy ingredients like noodles and potatoes can get easily trapped between your teeth.

image of open hands holding a few blue cough drops — *Sweet cough drops are just as bad for you as regular candy! The longer you suck on sugared cough drops, the more likely you are to develop cavities and tooth decay.*

Stick with Sugar-Free Medicines. If you’re coughing and suffering from a sore throat, odds are you’re using over-the-counter remedies like cough drops and syrup. Make sure you check the labels and avoid options with sugar in the ingredients!

woman stands in front of mirror holding glass while gargling water in her mouth — *Gargling water is a great way to clean the back of your throat which helps to stop further irritation from nasal drainage and excess mucus.*

Rinse and Repeat

A good habit to get into when you’re sick is rinsing your mouth on a semi-regular basis. Some of the most important times to rinse include:

After Eating
Rinsing after you eat, even when you aren’t sick, is a great way to dislodge trapped foods, increase saliva, and reduce your chances of plaque build-up.
After Medicine
Whether it’s lozenges, cough syrup, or other liquid medications, these health tools often act like candy to your teeth. Failure to eliminate these substances increase the likelihood of developing cavities and decay.
After Vomiting
If you’re throwing up, one of the best things you can do is rinsing your mouth afterwards – not brushing! When we vomit, stomach acid makes contact with our teeth and coats them in the process. By brushing prematurely, we rub those acids on the hard outer shell (also known as the enamel) of our teeth. To avoid this, swish with water, a diluted mouth rinse, or a mixture of water and baking soda and wait roughly 30 minutes before brushing.

Sore Throat? Sooth it with Salt Water!

Not only is this great for soothing a sore throat, but salt water rinses promote healing and help reduce the amount of bacteria in your mouth! By temporarily increasing the pH levels inside your mouth, oral bacteria is less likely to survive which helps your immune system fight off gingivitis and other bacterial infections.

image of a family recipe box displaying a card with instructions for salt water rinse — *Check out this easy recipe for a soothing salt water rinse!*

Beware of Cross-Contamination

We’ve all been told to cover our mouths when coughing and stay away from others while we’re sick. These are great tips, but did you know that there’s more you can do to prevent the spread of germs?

close up of toothbrushes in a cup — *Even when you aren’t sick, it’s always a good idea to keep your toothbrush at a healthy distance from other members of the family.*

Isolate Your Toothbrush
Social distancing is for more than just your smile! Store your toothbrush away from the other occupants of your house. Avoid sharing cups and toothbrush holders by keeping yours on a bedside table or other separate, designated space.
Use Your Own Toothpaste
If you share toothpaste with another member of the family or a partner, either use your own tube or be careful not to touch the tip of the tube directly to the bristles of your brush. Instead, try using a Q-tip or piece of wax paper to place a pea-sized amount on before applying to your toothbrush.
NEVER Share Toothbrushes
We’ve mentioned in previous blogs the dangers of sharing toothbrushes, but this is even more important to remember when we’re sick.
Rinse Brushes Thoroughly and Let Air-Dry
After rinsing excess toothpaste and debris, avoid covering your toothbrush or storing it upside down. Dark, closed-off environments like these are breeding grounds for bacteria.

image of a hand holding two toothbrushes above a garbage can — *The bristles on toothbrushes store bacteria and germs which is why it’s important to replace your brush every 3-4 months whether you’re sick or not!*

Toss Your Toothbrush Following Illness
Although this isn’t necessary when dealing with a virus like the flu, bacterial infections such as strep throat can remain on the bristles of your toothbrush and cause reinfection. To skip another round with sickness, make sure you throw away your toothbrush and replace it with a new brush or head. Of course, it’s never a bad idea to do this after all sicknesses!

Maintain Healthy Habits

It can be easy to fall out of dental hygiene habits when we’re feeling sick or low on energy. Remember that it’s important to get up and do them anyway! Gingival problems often increase due to suppressed immune systems while sick and poor hygiene can lead to excess plaque, cavities, and decay.

By using these tips, we hope that you’ll be feeling better soon and smiling again in no time!

Don’t forget to schedule your semi-annual dental visit when you’re back on your feet. Routines are important, especially those regular dental exams! As always, the friendly staff at Alexandria Smiles are here for you.