Sedation Clinics
Have your days been jam-packed with to-dos amid back-to-school season? If so, your schedule may be a bit haphazard to accommodate buying books, organizing your things, purchasing school supplies, and the like. With your next dental exam rapidly approaching, you may be wondering what you can do to pass with flying colors. Good news: you’re in the right place! Keep reading for five helpful tips.
Fill Your Pantry and Fridge with Healthy Snacks
From a full class schedule to late nights studying, you may find yourself needing a snack or two to fuel your body. If you aren’t prepared, you might end up reaching for chips, pretzels, and junk food. However, foods that are loaded with sugar significantly increase your chances of developing a cavity, and crunchy foods increase your risk of chipping a tooth! So, do your best to plan ahead and fill your kitchen with fresh fruit, cooked veggies, hard-boiled eggs, and other smile-friendly snacks.
Pack an On-the-Go Dental Hygiene Kit
Whether you’re a full-time student or also have a job, there’s a good chance you won’t always be home to complete your oral hygiene regimen. To make cleaning your teeth on-the-go more convenient, keep a travel-sized dental care kit with you. In it, include a small toothbrush, toothpaste, floss, and mouthwash. You can also include ibuprofen, gauze, and other dental emergency essentials so you’re prepared if you sustain a dental injury.
Too Busy to Brush? Chew on Sugar-Free Gum!
If you only have a minute or two between classes to eat, then you probably don’t have time to thoroughly brush your teeth. Fortunately, you can chew on some sugar-free gum in the meantime. This will increase your saliva production, which helps remove food particles from your teeth. Remember: this is a short-term solution, so make sure to brush your teeth as soon as you can.
Avoid Stress-Induced Unhealthy Dental Habits
Do you bite your nails when you feel overwhelmed? Do you chew on your pencil while you’re cramming for a test? These are just two dental habits that can wreak havoc on your teeth and gums. If you’re feeling stressed, try focusing on deep breathing, taking a break every once in a while, or squeezing a stress ball.
Always Brush Your Teeth Before Bed
After a long day, you may be tempted to curl up in bed and fall asleep to your favorite TV show. That’s perfectly fine as long as you brush your teeth first! Taking a few minutes to thoroughly brush (and floss!) your teeth after dinner will ensure food particles, plaque, and other debris are removed before you doze off and lose the motivation to do so.
Back-to-school season is a hectic time. Fortunately, with the right best practices in place, it won’t stop you from acing your next dental exam!
About the Practice
With families of their own, our team at Dental Wellness of Lexington knows just how hectic back-to-school season can be. That’s why we focus on personalized care and efficient visits at our state-of-the-art dental office. Plus, we offer convenient appointment times and a wide range of services in-house so you don’t have to drive all over town to care for your smile! If you want to learn more about preventive dentistry or it’s been over six months since your last visit, don’t hesitate to visit our website or call (859) 223-4644.