It’s flu season in West Orange and Milestone Orthodontics says not to forget to take care of your teeth during flu season. Milestone Orthodontics warns that some of the remedies you use to help get over the flu can lead to cavities if you’re not careful. So to avoid cavities this flu season, follow Dr. Milestone’s advice.
Just because cough drops are sold in the medicine aisle in West Orange doesn’t mean they’re healthy. Milestone Orthodontics says that most cough drops are loaded with sugar. So after soothing your throat with a lozenge, be sure to brush well especially if you have braces. Whether the sugar comes from a cough drop or a hard candy, it reacts with the sticky plaque that coats your teeth. Then bacteria in the plaque convert the sugar into an acid that eats away at tooth enamel. Hello, cavities.
Sometimes we need a little soda to help us feel better during the cold and flu season but remember about your teeth. Candy isn’t the only culprit when it comes to added sugar. Sodas can have up to 11 teaspoons of sugar per serving. To add insult to injury, sodas also contain phosphoric and citric acids, which eat away at tooth enamel. Diet soft drinks let you skip the sugar, but they may have even more acid in the form of the artificial sweeteners. The team at Milestone Orthodontics says to make sure you rinse your mouth with water after consuming sugar sodas to prevent cavities.
Fruit juice is loaded with vitamins and antioxidants, but unfortunately most juices are also loaded with sugar. Some juices can have as much sugar per serving as soda. For example, there are only 10 more grams of sugar in orange soda than in orange juice. Fruits are naturally sweet, so look for juice that has no added sugar. You can also reduce the sugar content by diluting juice with some water.
So when fighting the flu this season, Milestone Orthodontics recommends that you follow the above advice to help prevent cavities. As always, contact our office in West Orange with any orthodontic questions regarding your teeth this flu season. Stay cavity free!!
