Late nights by the campfire, hikes in the mountains, trying some new food at Taste of Saskatchewan, long walks or bike rides along Saskatoon’s beautiful river, road trips, ball diamonds, and late nights in the sun. I could go on and on with all the summer activities we are gearing up for in Saskatoon this year. After a long winter everyone is excited. This month on the blog Dr. Hamilton, Dr. Shire and the team at Blairmore Dental Centre, your local Saskatoon dental clinic, discuss a few oral health tips and things to pay attention to this summer!
Kids playing baseball
Sports Injuries
Spring in Saskatoon is synonymous with baseball, soccer, dance (or maybe it’s more hockey for your family), bike rides, and other outdoor activities. Along with the increase in physical activity comes the increased risk of sports injuries to your teeth and mouth. Here are a few things to consider:
If possible, wear a mouthguard to protect your mouth and teeth. We make custom mouthguards at Blairmore Dental Centre, and they go a long way to protecting you against injury. If you or your children experience an injury to your mouth here are a few things to look for and next steps to take:
Check yourself or your child to make sure there are no other injuries that take priority. Call 911 if there is an emergency or contact your doctor if there is no emergency but you have concerns about other injuries.
Check your teeth and mouth to determine if any teeth have fallen out. A concern with a tooth injury is that the tooth goes into the gum which can cause issues. If the tooth has fallen out and you can’t find it, you should always get checked out by your dentist.
Contact Blairmore Dental Centre, your local Saskatoon dentist, and we can help you determine your next steps and when you should be seen by a dentist. If your injury occurs after normal business hours, we have an emergency line where you can always talk to one of our dentists when needed.
Children eating ice-cream
Tooth Sensitivity
What’s your favourite summer treat? Chances are you said ice cream, or something else similarly cold! Nothing hits better on a hot day than a scoop of ice cream, a popsicle, or a cold drink.
For some people however, enjoying their favourite summer treats results in pain and frustration if they have sensitive teeth.
Most of us have experienced some form of tooth pain from cold or hot drinks. Nerves inside the middle of your teeth are responsible for all of these feelings. Pain or sensitivity felt in these nerves may be attributed to worn tooth enamel (due to abrasion from brushing, acid erosion, etc), exposed roots (from aggressive brushing, gum disease, etc), or some other form of damage (nerve exposure from fracture or decay, etc).
If you are someone that experiences tooth sensitivity, talk to your dentist and dental hygienist at your next dental appointment and we can work with you to come up with a plan to make sure you can protect your teeth and enjoy your summer snacks.
Toasting marshmallows over a campfire
Late nights and getting out of a routine
Longer days, warm weather, and summer activities can mean a slip from routine and later nights for you and your family. If you find yourself rushing at the end of a long day to get yourself or your kids to bed late again and parts of your oral health care routine are slipping, here are a few ideas to make sure you are staying on top of things during the busy summer. Create a checklist of things that need to get done before you go to bed. Make sure its visible to remind yourself on those busy nights.
A FEW OTHER THINGS TO REMEMBER THIS SUMMER
Make sure you are wearing sunscreen, especially on your lips.
Don’t mistake your teeth for tools. It may be tempting to use your teeth to open your drink, but it can spell disaster for your teeth.
Enjoy your summer drinks and treats but give your teeth and mouth a break from sugar with lots of water and other snacks.
CONTACT YOUR TEAM AT BLAIRMORE DENTAL CENTRE FOR REGULAR ORAL HEALTH MAINTENANCE AND CARE
Call us at 306-931-0000 to get booked in for your next appointment before your summer schedule gets too busy!