The long-awaited summer is finally here! As the weather begins to heat up, most of us spend more time participating in outdoor activities. Along with more outdoor activities during the season, comes more delicious but not so healthy food, like ice cream, snacks, and sugar drinks.

So, how to maintain a healthy and beautiful summer smile without having to give up many of our favorite activities and foods? Here are few good tips about it.

• Drink plenty of water

Not only will you stay hydrated during the whole day, but your skin, your teeth, and your entire body will feel the benefits of drinking water. Choose for pure water with no added flavors or carbonation, as many of the additives can cause tooth enamel breakdown. Water can also help by flushing away food particles and bacteria, keeping your mouth clean and fresh. It is truly the perfect drink for your entire body during the hot summer days!

• Avoid Sports Drinks

To maintain a healthy summer smile, you should try to keep out of your diet drinks with added sugar, like juices, sodas, and sports drinks. Most sport drinks not only contain a high content of sugar, but are also highly acidic. Consumption of too many sports drinks can lead to tooth decay and tooth enamel erosion. If you are so fond of sports drinks, at least try to keep a limit on them, drink plain water in between, and practice proper oral hygiene to keep the acids and sugars from attacking your teeth.

• Use sports mouthguard

As we usually do more physical activities during the summer time, we need to think about our teeth protection.  Just like our skin needs sun protection, our teeth need protection from possible trauma. Having your Everett dentist fabricate a custom-made mouthguard will decrease your risk of mouth trauma significantly.

• Be careful with Swimming pools

Swimming pools are a great option for exercising or just relaxing during the hot summer days. However, be aware that swimming pools contain chlorine, a very hazardous chemical, which can cause damage to your teeth even when levels are properly monitored.  Spending a lot of time in a pool with poorly maintained chemical levels can cause permanent damage to your teeth’s enamel. Water that is over chlorinated (such as many community pools) may cause tooth enamel erosion and permanent staining of teeth. The tooth surface is directly affected by harsh chemicals, such as acid, causing the enamel to erode, thin, breakdown, and stain. When there are high levels of chlorine in the pool, the water becomes more acidic. Continuous exposure to acid can cause the damage to begin and subsequently progress.

• Don’t forget to brush and floss regularly

Everett professional dentists recommend that you brush your teeth minimum twice per day to clean your mouth from harmful bacteria that can cause tooth decay.  It’s also recommended to brush after meals and snacks, especially when they are sticky or sweet, like candies, for example.  It is no secret that proper tooth brushing is hard to do if you’re at the beach, but if you can’t brush your teeth, at least try to rinse your mouth with water to get rid of anything that’s stuck between your teeth.

Next to brushing, remember to floss. Floss is a perfect dental cleaning option for the summer, as it’s easy to carry along with you, so you can at least clean between your teeth after meals, if you don’t have the chance to brush them properly.