{"id":255,"date":"2020-01-21T23:31:00","date_gmt":"2020-01-21T23:31:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.21stcenturydental.com\/blog\/?p=255"},"modified":"2025-04-30T12:36:35","modified_gmt":"2025-04-30T12:36:35","slug":"cold-and-flu-season-oral-health","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.21stcenturydental.com\/blog\/cold-and-flu-season-oral-health\/","title":{"rendered":"Cold and Flu Season: 3 Tips for Protecting Your Teeth While You\u2019re Sick"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignleft size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" src=\"https:\/\/www.21stcenturydental.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/AdobeStock_274987196__1___1580858883_23705.jpg\" alt=\"Cold and flu season\" class=\"wp-image-256\" style=\"width:300px;height:169px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.21stcenturydental.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/AdobeStock_274987196__1___1580858883_23705.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.21stcenturydental.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/AdobeStock_274987196__1___1580858883_23705-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.21stcenturydental.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/AdobeStock_274987196__1___1580858883_23705-768x432.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s important to\nknow how to take care of your body during cold and flu season \u2013 and of course,\nthat includes your mouth. Even when you\u2019re already sick, you always need to\ntake the time to take care of your teeth; ignoring your oral hygiene while you\u2019re\nunder the weather could ultimately leave you with gum disease and other health\nissues to worry about. Read on to learn 3 ways you can protect your smile even\nwhile you\u2019re sick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<!--more-->\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">1. Don\u2019t Forget to Brush<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>When you\u2019re sick, you might be tempted to stay in bed and\nskip your regular oral hygiene routine. But of course, doing so will only give\nthe harmful bacteria in your bacteria in your mouth more of a chance to attack\nthe teeth and gums. Always take the time to brush thoroughly even if you don\u2019t\nfeel well. You normally won\u2019t need to replace the toothbrush afterwards, as\nthere\u2019s very little risk of being reinfected unless your immune system has been\nbadly weakened. (That said, you should get a new toothbrush every 3 to 4\nmonths, so it may be a good idea to go ahead and throw out the used brush\nanyway.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">2. Find Cough Drops That Don\u2019t Contain Sugar<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>A cough drop can be just the thing you need to soothe your\nsore throat, but take the time to check the ingredients. Some cough drops\ncontain some form of sugar, and like other sugary foods, they put your teeth at\nrisk. (This is because tooth decay occurs as a result of bacteria feeding on\nsugar and turning it into acid; this becomes more likely when the sugar remains\nin your mouth for too long.) Look for medicine that isn\u2019t sweetened by sugar. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">3. Stay Hydrated<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>There\u2019s a good reason your doctor will tell you to stay\nhydrated if you\u2019re sick. Getting plenty of fluids can make all the difference\nwhile you\u2019re sick. One benefit is that it will prevent your mouth from becoming\ndry and uncomfortable; in this state, you\u2019ll be at a greater risk for cavities.\nDry mouth can be a symptom of your illness, but it may also be a side effect of\ncertain medications. Either way, you\u2019ll need to make sure you\u2019re drinking\nplenty of water. (You can also drink certain other fluids in moderation, such\nas sports drinks to replenish electrolytes or unsweetened tea to warm yourself\nup.) <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you have any other concerns about your mouth while you\u2019re\nsick, get in touch with your <a href=\"https:\/\/www.21stcenturydental.com\/preventive-dentistry.html\">dentist<\/a>;\nthey\u2019ll have the expertise needed to help you make good decisions when it comes\nto oral health. Follow their advice, and you can avoid having to make an\nemergency dental appointment after overcoming your cold. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">About the Practice<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Here at 21st Century Dental of Irving, we always go above and beyond to win your loyalty every time you visit us; we\u2019ll help you stay relaxed all throughout your visit, and we\u2019ll make it our goal for you to leave our office feeling well-served and appreciated. If you want to schedule a checkup or speak to one of our expert dentists about the impact cold and flu season might be having on your teeth, visit our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.21stcenturydental.com\/contact-us.html\">website<\/a> or call (972) 255-3712.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>It\u2019s important to know how to take care of your body during cold and flu season \u2013 and of course, that includes your mouth. Even when you\u2019re already sick, you always need to take the time to take care of your teeth; ignoring your oral hygiene while you\u2019re under the weather could ultimately leave you [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-255","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.5 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Cold and Flu Season | Oral Health | Dentist Irving | 21st Century Dental of Irving<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Cold and flu season could end up doing a number on your oral health; here\u2019s 3 tips that will keep your smile safe even while you\u2019re coughing and sneezing.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.21stcenturydental.com\/blog\/cold-and-flu-season-oral-health\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Cold and Flu Season | Oral Health | Dentist Irving | 21st Century Dental of Irving\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Cold and flu season could end up doing a number on your oral health; 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