Summer time is officially here! This means having fun in the sun with your friends and families at parties, barbecues, at the beach, and more! While it’s certainly a time to celebrate and have a great time since school and other obligations are put on hold, there’s one thing that we want to protect and that’s your smile. Your Syracuse dentist will discuss how to keep up with your dental and oral hygiene and care this summer. Find a Healthy Diet and Stick With It! We understand that it can be easy to fall into a bad diet during the summer. With all of the barbecues and backyard parties full of snacks, sweets and treats, it’ll certainly be difficult to ignore it. While it’s fun to splurge, make sure that you’re still eating right for a majority of your meals. This means limiting the amount of snacking that you’re doing—if you can’t help but snack, try to replace the chips and candies with celery, carrots, or other healthy vegetables! It also highly recommended not to eat very late at night, especially if you plan on going to bed relatively soon. You’re allowing the bacteria and food particles to linger in your mouth overnight instead of giving your body time to properly digest. If you eat and then go to bed, you’re also skipping your nightly brushing routine, making it easier for your teeth to suffer from cavities and potential decay. Eat at appropriate times and don’t forget to brush and floss your teeth before you go to bed to protect your smile! Drink Water—Lots of It It’s no secret that summertime can bring some of the hottest recorded temperatures around, which is why it’s important to stay hydrated. This won’t only help your dental health, but it’ll help your overall health, too! In between meals, try to consume as much water as possible, since there are many popular drinks that can cause you to dehydrate or dry out your mouth (coffee, sodas, sports drinks, alcohol). Protect Your Teeth as You Play Sports Summer is a great time to participate in a number of sports activities, like baseball, soccer, football, and more! But accidents can happen and your teeth can easily suffer from a hit. Most dental injuries in children are sports related, so we recommend using mouth guards for these times. There is no intention of anyone getting hurt, but that doesn’t mean it can’t potentially happen! Your teeth will thank you in the morning. If you want to learn some more helpful summer tips about protecting your smile, or if you’d like to make an appointment for your bi-annual check-up, don’t hesitate to call ProSmile Dentistry at (315)475-4559 today! We wish you a happy, safe and healthy summer!