Oral hygiene is a good way of improving your overall health. This means that good oral care habits can boost your immune system. Furthermore, good oral hygiene can contribute to making other protective measures more bearable, such as continued usage of masks. Below are some specific oral hygiene tips that can improve your overall health and contribute to effective safety measures against contracting the coronavirus.
Clean Your Braces Carefully
If you have braces, you need to be careful about cleaning them regularly throughout your orthodontic treatment. If you don’t, particles of food that are caught in your braces or other orthodontic appliances can become a breeding ground for germs, including bacteria. Having a bacterial infection in your mouth can weaken your immune system. In bad cases, it may even require a visit to your dentist or doctor — which can expose you to other sick people in the facility. Thus, preventing an infection in the first place can be a starting point for reducing exposure to the coronavirus.
Brush Before You Leave The House
When you brush your teeth before you put on a mask and leave the house, you will reduce halitosis (bad breath). This will allow you to wear your mask more comfortably and for longer, further reducing your risk of being exposed to the coronavirus or other airborne germs.
Try Not To Brush Too Hard
While you are taking time to care for your teeth, you need to be careful to not brush too hard. When you brush too hard, you can cause your gums to bleed. You will have a much higher chance of getting sick if you have bleeding gums.
Use Mouthwash
You can use mouthwash throughout the day to make wearing a mask a little bit more bearable by further reducing bad breath and bacteria in the mouth.
Even in the midst of a pandemic, it’s crucial that you don’t ignore your oral health. Good oral hygiene can make the usage of masks more comfortable. It can also boost your immune system. These two benefits can reduce your exposure to the virus, or in the worst case scenario improve your body’s immune system so that it improves your chances of recovering from sickness.
