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Since the pandemic started, you’ve been taking the necessary precautions to protect others from contracting the virus. Along with using hand sanitizer and social distancing, you have also purchased several face masks to wear whenever you go out. While this is an excellent way to lessen your chances of infecting others, it can also impact your oral health. Read on to learn what those effects are and four tips to help you maintain a healthy smile while wearing a mask.
How Wearing Face Masks Affects Your Oral Health
As helpful as face coverings are at slowing the spread of the virus, they can unfortunately do some harm to your oral health. This is because those who wear masks often breathe through their mouths more than their noses, which raises their chances of developing dry mouth. Several oral health issues can be caused by dry mouth, including:
- Tooth decay – When there isn’t enough saliva being produced to flush away harmful bacteria, you’re more likely to develop cavities.
- Gum disease – The antimicrobial components found in saliva are effective at fighting gum disease, so low saliva production raises your chances of developing this issue. When gum disease progresses into a more severe infection, this can lead to gum recession as well as bone and tooth loss.
- Halitosis – Also called bad breath, this happens as the result of there being more harmful bacteria in the mouth than usual, which is a common side effect of wearing a mask for a long time.
How to Prevent These Issues
Though wearing a face mask all day can damage your oral health, there are several steps you can take to keep these harmful effects at bay, including:
- Drink water – Make sure to stay hydrated and keep your mouth moist by drinking plenty of water throughout the day.
- Breathe through your nose – Since breathing through your mouth can cause it to dry out, breathe through your nose instead.
- Maintain good oral hygiene – Brush twice and floss once daily to remove food particles, plaque, and harmful oral bacteria from your mouth.
- Visit your dentist – Every six months, make an appointment to see your dentist for cleanings and checkups.
Even though face masks can impact your oral health, you should continue wearing one to lessen the spread of COVID-19. With the above steps, you’ll be able to keep your smile in good condition while doing your part to keep your community healthy.
About the Author
Medford’s oral health is in good hands with Dr. Gary Rosenfeld, Dr. Michael DeSivo, Dr. Yumee Yang, Dr. Ben Eghbali, and their skilled team at Island Daily Dental Care. They offer preventive dental checkups and cleanings so you can wear a mask to protect others from COVID-19 while keeping your oral health in good condition and your smile as lovely as ever. To learn more about the impact of face masks on your oral health and how to combat them or to schedule an appointment with Island Daily Dental Care, call their office at (631) 286-9000 or visit their website.