Memorial Day Barbecues Usher in Summer: How to Protect Your Teeth

As we enter the summer season, many of us head outdoors for various activities, many of them culminating in a cookout/barbecue with family and friends. These occasions bring us much joy and pleasure as we spend our leisure time watching the kids at the pool or a ballgame or at a park for a family picnic. But did you realize that the foods and activities associated with summer can put your teeth at risk?

3 Summer activities that can harm your teeth

Swimming: 

The chlorine in the pool water is acidic and can damage tooth enamel. To prevent enamel erosion make sure you drink plenty of water and rinse your mouth after swimming. Make sure you use a tooth paste with the ADA seal of approval, these toothpastes will provide the proper levels of fluoride to help remineralize the enamel.

Sports Activities: 

Simple activities can lead to tooth injury. All it takes is a fall or getting hit in the mouth, while playing catch, or during a family game of badminton, etc. These injuries are unexpected but common, you can protect yourself and children by wearing mouthguards while engaging in sporting activities.
  
If your summer fun leads to a broken tooth visit your dentist to prevent further discomfort and damage, He/she may repair small chips with a bonded composite restoration, but severe cracks or fractures could lead to a need for root canal treatment and in some cases loss of the tooth. If a tooth is lost many times a dental implant can be immediately placed to restore your smile.

Barbecues: 

The mouth watering foods served at the numerous cookouts attended each summer can have hidden side affects on your teeth. Although not all summer foods are bad for your teeth, some are actually beneficial to the health of your teeth and gums. Below is a short list of good and bad foods for your teeth.

Iced Coffee: Many people enjoy starting off their day with a cup of coffee, and iced coffee and summer go hand-in-hand. However, because the outer layer of your teeth is very porous, coffee is one the worst stain offenders. Avoid black coffee by adding a splash of milk or creamer to lighten it up. Drinking through a straw will also help keep your pearly whites white.

Corn: Corn-on-the-cob is a summer staple at barbecues and cookouts. Unfortunately, corn is also one of those things that gets stuck in the areas between your teeth. Make sure to brush and floss your teeth shortly after eating corn to ensure there’s no remnants left behind.

Blueberries: There’s nothing like a handful of frozen or fresh blueberries to cool off on a hot summer day. Not only are they delicious, they’re jam packed with cancer-preventing antioxidants. The downside for your teeth? The dark blue stains easily. Try to brush shortly after; if you can’t brush, at least rinse your mouth out with water to prevent the stain from setting in.

Popsicles: The perfect summer treat, popsicles in flavors like cherry, blueberry, watermelon, or grape are also known to stain your tongue, gums, and teeth. Opt for flavors like lemon or vanilla, which won’t do as much damage to your mouth.

Barbecue Sauce: Most barbec

ue sauces contain some combination of sugar, tomato paste, vinegar, high-fructose corn syrup, and brown dyes – all things which will contribute to breaking down and staining the enamel on your teeth. Try not to smother your grilled foods in it, and brush your teeth as soon as you are done eating.

Cheeses: The acid from the foods we eat can tear away at our teeth, but select dairy products can actually reduce the acid your mouth. Cheese is high in calcium, which makes teeth and bones stronger, but it also contains casein, a protein found in milk that is helpful in fortifying the tooth’s surface.

Crisp, crunchy fruits and vegetables: 

Most raw, fresh vegetables and crisp fruits are good for your oral health because their fibrous nature requires helps cleanse the teeth while chewing. All this chewing causes an increase in saliva production. In fact, celery is a great tooth-friendly food choice because it helps to clean out the mouth and break down the food for digestion. 

The reason celery is so great is because it breaks down into fibrous strands that naturally clean the teeth while chewing. For the best oral benefit, you should eat the fruits and vegetables in their raw state. 

Water: We know that iced tea and soda drinks are always flowing at the family cookouts, but might we suggest a healthier way to quench your thirst that is also good for your oral health? No surprise here, it is water!
The best way to drink water is with a few ice cubes, but if you need something a little more flavorful, try adding some fresh fruits to the water and let it sit for a few hours. Fruit-infused water can be incredibly beneficial to your health as well as your teeth. Serve it up in a nice pitcher, and you are good to go!

Raw Onion
You may be wondering why we are suggesting eating onions as they typically give you bad breath after eating them, but have no fear, a toothbrush is near! As far as the benefits go, the onion is known to eliminate bacteria that can cause cavities and gum disease, so go ahead and add a few slices of these to your burger!