Can Seasonal Allergies Affect My Dental Health?

While autumn brings pleasantly cool weather and beautiful new colors to the trees, it can be a rough ride for those who are sensitive to pollen and other plant matter in the air. For many people, allergy season is a miserable, sniffly, pollen-filled ordeal. While many people are quick to stock up on tissues and over-the-counter decongestants, many may be unaware of the risks allergy season poses to your dental health.  Here are a few tips to help you watch out for your own and your family’s dental health when hay fever is going haywire.

How Can My Allergies Affect My Dental Health?

While the wind helps us fly kites and generate electricity, it can also carry allergens like ragweed pollen, spores, and the like for hundreds of miles so they can irritate the nasal passages of many decent, hardworking people. While symptoms like cough, sinus pressure, and congestion are certainly annoying, they aren’t necessarily bad for your teeth. However, allergy symptoms can indirectly lead to dental health issues if they aren’t managed properly.

Many people experience dry mouth during allergy season, often as a result of the antihistamines they use to treat their symptoms. Dry mouth is caused by inadequate saliva flow, and saliva is a key part of your mouth’s natural cleaning process. It flushes food debris and bacteria away from the teeth while keeping them mineralized and lubricated to prevent injury. Without sufficient saliva levels, your teeth are vulnerable to bacteria as well as the acids and sugars in the sweetened coffee or hot cocoa you may be drinking to help steam your nasal passages out.

How Can I Protect My Dental Health During Allergy Season?

Luckily, there are several teeth-friendly ways to promote saliva flow and prevent dry mouth. The easiest way is drinking more water, as this will keep you hydrated enough to produce sufficient saliva while also helping to wash food debris and sugary residue from your teeth while you drink. Similarly, chewing sugar-free gum after meals can stimulate saliva flow while also helping it circulate around your mouth. You may also try enjoying some sugar-free hard candy or sleeping with a humidifier.

Don’t let allergy season get the best of your dental health. By managing your symptoms, you can keep your teeth safe and flashy for when it’s safe to breathe again.

About the Practice

Dental Expressions delivers the best dental care available in Freedom, WI. Led by Drs. Bob and Heather Heil, the staff sees to each patient receiving stellar customer service in a warm and welcoming environment. Areas of expertise include general, cosmetic, restorative, and emergency dentistry. For more information on protecting your oral health during allergy season, contact the office online or dial (920) 788-6280.