2 Ways To Protect Your Teeth When You Eat Out

If you eat out often, you may be concerned that you are not caring for your oral health properly.  Since you are dining away from your home, you may not find it easy to brush and floss immediately following your meal or snack.  Still, there are measures that you can take to help protect your teeth when you dine at a restaurant. Here are a few of them:

Drink Water

Although there will likely be multiple drink options on the restaurant menu, the best is water.  Sodas are highly acidic and can eat away at tooth enamel in the same manner as bacterial acids. In addition, if the sodas are not sugar-free, the simple carbohydrates present in the beverages offer a ready food supply for oral microbes.  As these microbes feed, they release acid as a by-product of their digestion, and this acid often results in tooth decay.

Water contains no carbohydrate content and thus, does not promote tooth decay. Additionally, the neutral pH of the water helps to dilute any acid that may be present in the oral cavity. It also helps rinse away particles of food that may become stuck to the teeth or along the gum line. This can discourage the development of plaque. 

Some restaurants offer water that is fluoridated.  As a result, additional benefits are available. Fluoride helps attract minerals, such as phosphorus and calcium, back to the tooth enamel. There, the fluoride combines with these substances to form a new tooth material that is more acid-resistant than your original teeth enamel.

Water can also help rinse away deeply pigmented foods before the colorants are absorbed into the pores of the teeth, where they can cause discoloration.

Use Toothpicks

Many restaurants offer toothpicks. Instead of politely leaving the small wooden devices on the table, take them along after your meal.

The toothpick, if used gently, can help safely dislodge particles of food from between your teeth and along your gum line. This is quite helpful for pieces that still remain after attempts at rinsing them away.

As you use a toothpick, be sure to avoid puncturing the soft tissues of the mouth. Additionally, do not force the toothpick deeply into tight areas between the teeth. This can result in damage to the teeth. In fact, if enough pressure is applied, a cracked or chipped tooth could result.

To learn more ways to protect your teeth when you eat out, schedule a consultation with a local dentist.

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