Winter is coming, and that means beautiful holiday decorations, hearty feasts, and lots of friends and family gatherings that we don’t what to be sick for. For quick recovery, many of us turn to cold syrup, but did you know that cold syrup can lead to cavities? At Kurt Kavanaugh Orthodontics, our team wants to make sure that you’re maintaining good oral health and overall health. Check out our tips on how to avoid tooth decay from cold medicine.
How Can Cold Syrup Damage Teeth?
Cold syrup, and many other over-the-counter liquid medications, can cause your teeth to decay for a couple of reasons –
- Common cold medications often contain high fructose corn syrup or other sugar substances that as they break down, attack the enamel of your teeth.
- Cough syrups are often highly acidic, and can damage your teeth.
- The alcohol in popular cold medicines can cause the mouth to become dry. A dry mouth, or decreased levels of saliva, could lead to sugars and other food particles sitting on your teeth for longer than usual.
How To Avoid Tooth Decay
Follow these tips to minimize the risk of tooth decay when using cold medicine –
- Take medication with meals – the increased amount of saliva that is produced when eating will clean the sugar and acids in your teeth.
- Avoid taking cough medicine before bedtime, as your saliva production decreases when you are asleep.
- If you cannot avoid taking cough medicine before bed, make sure you brush your teeth after taking cold syrup
- If brushing your teeth isn’t a possibility, make sure you rinse your mouth with water.
We Hope You Get Well Soon!
Our team at Kavanaugh Orthodontics wishes you a healthy and speedy recovery. Please don’t hesitate to contact us if you have any questions on how to avoid tooth decay and cavities.
