With the COVID-19 pandemic happening across the country, many dentists, such as Loyalsock Dental Associates, are closed for any routine procedures. Currently, we’re only open for true dental emergencies for patients of record. If you had a routine appointment scheduled, what should you do now that you’re going to miss it? Dr. Joyce Kim, your dentist in Williamsport, PA, offers some tips.
Get Your Appointment Rescheduled
Just because it’s been canceled doesn’t mean you should skip this checkup appointment. Getting your cleaning and checkup every six months is still essential, especially with more stress being present because of the current crisis. Our office may have reached out to get you a new appointment date. If not, call us or use our online scheduling tool to reschedule your appointment for the future.
Keep Up With an Oral Health Routine
When our usual daily routines are disrupted, it can be hard to find a new one and remember everything to do. You may be adjusting to working from home, being laid off, and/or helping children with online learning and staying occupied in isolation. Things may be a lot different and tasks like brushing and flossing may fall by the wayside as you’re focusing on other tasks.
However, it’s still essential to keep up with brushing and flossing. If you can, brush and floss after every meal. That’s one way to remember to keep up with your oral health. You can also set an alarm or reminder on your phone for mornings and evenings. This way you’ll brush and floss at least twice a day. It can be a reminder for the entire household, too!
Try to Have a Balanced Diet
With limited hours and food shortages, it can be hard to obtain the best things for your diet. With the impact diet has on your oral health, though, you should try your best to keep things balanced. For starters, avoid eating or drinking a lot of sugar. The harmful bacteria in your mouth feed off of it and release an acidic byproduct that eats through your tooth enamel. This is what leads to tooth decay and cavities.
Next, focus on water being the primary thing you drink. Avoid sugary drinks like soda and juice. If you’re drinking water from your tap, it’s likely that it’s fortified with fluoride. This helps strengthen the enamel on your teeth. Water also keeps your mouth hydrated, which helps with bad breath, among other things. It assists in rinsing sugar and food particles away from your smile if things are getting stuck there.
Last, try to eat a lot of fresh fruits and vegetables. Particularly, try to eat ones with a fibrous texture. These include things like apples, pears, carrots, and celery. Fibrous fruits and vegetables require a lot of chewing to break down. This boosts the saliva production in your mouth. Both increased saliva and the texture of these foods assist in ridding your teeth of leftover food particles.
Your Williamsport, Pennsylvania Dentist
If you’re experiencing a dental emergency, call us immediately. In addition, we’ll be here for you after this crisis is over for your regular checkups and cleanings. Call us or schedule an appointment for the future online. We hope we’ll be seeing you in our office shortly!