Society has been urged to avoid only the most necessary of excursions during the pandemic, especially those that involve close contact. Because of this safety precaution, many people have avoided going to the dentist over the past year. Unfortunately, this absence of quality dental care has created many pandemic-related dental problems, which leads to a great deal of pain and expense.

You and your family can maintain good dental care during the pandemic – and after – when you take the following steps to avoid the development of oral health complications.

Don’t Skip Your Dental Checkups

Your Hampton family dentist has taken every precaution to protect you from COVID-19. In fact, your dentist’s office has always been one of the cleanest and most sterile environments you can be in. Now, because of COVID-19, even greater measures and advanced safety protocols for infectious disease control have been implemented to keep you safe, including more cleaning after every patient, deep disinfecting every night, pre-screening and temperature checks, virtual check-ins, social distancing protocols, and so much more.

Make an Appointment If You’re in Pain

Don’t try to wait until the pandemic is over or you have been vaccinated to get the dental care you need. A toothache, excessive teeth grinding, bleeding gums, and any other major or minor oral health problems need to be addressed right away. The reality is this – dental problems do not get better on their own. You need the help of your dentist. If you want to avoid a dental emergency, get help at the first sign of trouble.

Keep Up with Oral Hygiene at Home

It has been easy to slack on personal hygiene these last long months when you’re stuck at home every day and not needing to presentable for anyone or anywhere. Preventive dental care, in particular, has fallen by the wayside for many people. At a bare minimum, you should be brushing your teeth twice a day and flossing once a day. Slacking on oral health care in your cleanliness routine can lead to tooth decay, gingivitis, and many other oral health problems.

Watch What You Eat

One method of self-care that has gone up over the past year is indulging in the things that make you feel better, and that includes the foods that make you happy. Unfortunately, for many people, this has meant more coffee, more sweets, more snacking, more soda, and other things that wreak havoc on oral health. But your coping mechanism can ruin your oral health. If you can’t say no to the comfort foods, at least brush and floss after you indulge in them so you protect your teeth from an excess of food particles, bacteria, and sugar.

Take Care of Your Family’s Oral Health

Avoid tooth pain and costly repairs. Get help when you need it and make your oral health care a priority. Everything above applies to both you and your children, so make sure their teeth and gums don’t suffer because of the pandemic too. Schedule an appointment with Smiles by the Sea, your family dentistry practice in Hampton, New Hampshire offering gentle dental care. Contact us today.