Seasonal flu peaks typically in late fall and can last until early May. When you’re down with a cold or flu, taking care of your health is your top priority. That includes oral health.
Here are a few tips to keep your mouth in good health when you have a cold or the flu:
Maintain Proper Hygiene
When you’re sick, be sure to cover your mouth when you sneeze or cough. It’s also essential to maintain good dental and toothbrush hygiene. Consider replacing your toothbrush once you recover from the illness.
Changing your toothbrush helps to prevent re-infecting yourself as flu virus can remain on the toothbrush for about 72 hours.
Stay Hydrated
Cold and flu typically use lots of our daily fluid intake. Hence, it’s essential to stay hydrated when you are sick. Hydration helps to ease congestion when you cough or blow your nose and stimulates the body to heal itself.
Moreover, proper hydration promotes enough flow of saliva, which helps to prevent tooth decay. It’s advisable to focus on drinking plain water instead of soft drinks and other acidic beverages.
Use Sugar-free Cough Drops
Eating desserts and sweets can help promote comfort when you’re sick. However, this may have detrimental effects on your oral health. You should control your sugar intake.
Also, keep in mind that many cough drops are high in sugar. Excessive use of such cough drops increases your risk of cavities. Make sure you choose cough drops that don’t have ingredients like corn syrup and fructose.
Consult Your Dentist
Sinus infections may result in a toothache. Moreover, having a dry mouth for a long time makes you more susceptible to gum irritation and cavities. Make sure to see your dentist if a toothache or persistent dry mouth accompanies the flu or cold.
In conclusion, if you experience cold and flu symptoms that don’t seem to get better after a couple of days, don’t hesitate to see a doctor. Seeing the doctor need not cost a lot of money because you can seek treatment for most flu or cold symptoms at your local clinic.
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