The Effects of Masks on Your Dental Health
This write-up intends to notify readers that all dentists have worn masks as an essential part of personal protective equipment for years. It is important to continue wearing masks to protect from COVID-19. We should continue wearing them till we finally gain control over this virus.
It is true that wearing a mask the whole day is truly frustrating. Fogging up your glasses is a major concern.
These days we have years of experience in wearing masks for multiple hours every day. Let’s answer a few questions about “mask mouth” from personal experience.
Increased Awareness of Bad Breath
The major concern heard from patients regarding their long-time mask-wearing is that they are facing bad breath problems. This is truly an area of concern for many.
Being able to feel your own dreadful breath is in fact a good thing. It makes it possible for you to smell your own breath, which is not something very easy to do. It alerts you that you need to brush and rinse after a meal, and it can even aware you of severe oral health problems.
Most people do not understand that bad breath is generally the consequence of too much bad bacteria in the mouth. Harsh bad breath generally points to severe dental illness, like large cavities on various teeth and gum disease.
Many people use this responsiveness of bad breath while wearing a mask as inspiration to perk up their daily oral hygiene! When you try better ways of removing dental plaque with good brushing and flossing methods, you cut the number of bad bacteria in your mouth, which consecutively decreases the bad odors they can create.
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Dry Mouth
For those not used to wearing masks for stretched hours, breathing can be uncomfortable. Fogging over of much-required prescription can lead to changes in breathing type, counting increased breathing through the mouth. Most people can get used to and return to normal breathing if they wear masks frequently.
Meanwhile, breathing through the mouth can have a drying outcome on the mouth. This may cause feelings of more thirst, tissues attaching to the inside of the mouth, and deterioration of bad breath.
Besides, being aware of how you are breathing when wearing a mask, dentists too suggest chewing a piece of sugar-free gum to help motivate saliva and moisturize the mouth.
Make sure to drink plenty of plains to avoid dehydration. To put it in simple words, wearing a mask makes it more difficult to stay hydrated. This is because you have to lift the mask to take a drink. It is worth the attempt to keep your body hydrated!
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Higher Risk for Cavities and Gum Infection
A higher threat for dental diseases is a probable effect of any prolonged dry mouth that masks wearing causes.
Wearing a Mask Actually Cause Oral Health Problems: Dentist Burbank
Wearing a mask may add to the threat of greater levels of plaque upsurge because of a dry mouth. However, it does not lead to cavities or gum infections. Those who carry out great oral hygiene and constantly take out dental plaque with good brushing and flossing methods will not go through any ill effects from wearing a mask.
Burbank Dental Health
Call your nearest dental clinic today to schedule a consultation with one of our dentists. Our dentists can evaluate your current situation, make out any active oral health problems, and help you spot the issues as required with dental treatments. At Mydentistburbank, we love helping our patients keep up great oral health always, particularly throughout this COVID-19 pandemic.
Call us today at 8185782332 to book an appointment with Dr. Sahakyan.