Having a cold or flu can make it extremely difficult to function, but you must put forward the effort to keep your oral health excellent. Even when you’re sick, you Must take time out of your day to take care of your teeth and manage your braces. Otherwise, your oral health could be delayed by months, and you’ll need extra time to recover from your illness.

Please continue reading our orthodontics tips to make your Illness smooth when you have a retainer in mouth, braces, or other oral health concerns. Visiting a pediatric orthodontist after your child is sick is also a great way to manage your care.

1. Don’t Slack On Your Routine

One of the most important things you need to do when you’re sick is to avoid slacking on your routine. When you have a cold or flu, you might be way more tired than usual, so you need to work harder to take care of your oral health. This means brushing and flossing twice a day, even if all you want to do is sleep.

If it’s helpful for you, you can set alarms throughout the day to remind yourself to take care of your oral health while in bed. This way, you don’t forget to brush your teeth or floss when struggling with cold and flu symptoms.

2. Always Stay Hydrated When You’re Sick

Staying hydrated when you’re sick it’s beneficial to your physical health and your oral health. When you’re sick, you should consume more than eight cups of water daily to rebuild your fluids. If you don’t stay hydrated when you’re sick, this can cause dry mouth and lead to further dental complications.

People who don’t increase their water and take it when sick will become dehydrated because they lose fluids through sweating, sniffling, and vomiting/diarrhea. It would be helpful to keep a large bottle of water by your bedside, so you don’t have to keep getting up.

3. Avoid Sugar

Cough drops and cold medicine can have much sugar you don’t think about when you’re sick. You should avoid sugar, so you don’t wear down your tooth enamel and increase your bacteria. However, coughing throughout your illness can be extremely uncomfortable, so you can find sugar-free cough drops to manage your symptoms.

Always read the ingredients of your cold medicine and cough drop before you purchase because when you have braces, you need to be careful about how much sugar you have in your mouth.

4. Rinse Your Mouth After Vomiting

Stomach acid can do a number on your teeth, so you need to rinse your mouth with water or mouthwash after you vomit. It would be best if you did not brush your teeth immediately after vomiting because it will spread the acid around your mouth. Swishing with water for mouth rents would be a much better option because it will reduce the acid that coats your teeth after you vomit.

Despite how gross it feels, you should wait at least 30 minutes to brush your teeth after vomiting.

5. Destroy Bacteria With Salt Water

While you’re sick, you can gargle with salt water to decrease the bacteria in your throat and on the back of your tongue. If you’re experiencing a sore throat as a side effect of your illness, this can also help you minimize your pain. Gargling with salt water and swishing it around your mouth can also help you reduce plaque and tartar buildup while you’re sick.

6. Get a New Toothbrush

After your recovery from your illness, you should change out your toothbrush to avoid re-contaminating yourself and to get a fresh clean. In general, you should change your cute brush every four months so that you don’t worsen the bacteria in your mouth. When you’re sick, extra bacteria builds up in your mouth, and brushing your teeth with a toothbrush full of bacteria is not helpful.

Finding an orthodontist in NJ can help you determine which other steps you should take when you’re sick with braces. People with braces must be extra careful about their oral health because their mouths are more vulnerable.

7. Get Your Vitamins

When you have a cold or flu, it can be easier to avoid eating, especially if you’re having symptoms of diarrhea or nausea. However, getting your vitamins throughout the day is the best way to recover from your illness swiftly and maintain your oral health. Your teeth make plenty of vitamins to stay strong and healthy, and the sooner you recover from your illness, the easier you’ll have with dental maintenance.

If you’re frequently vomiting, wait a few hours before eating because you might throw it up again. You can’t get your nutrients if you can’t hold anything in your stomach, and eating right after vomiting won’t benefit you. As far as drinking goes, you should still drink plenty of water even if you experience vomiting because you need to maintain your fluids as much as possible.

Try eating fruits and vegetables while sick to ensure you get the nutrients you need for a speedy recovery. If your stomach is upset, try eating foods like dry toast and rice a few hours after vomiting because they might help you keep other foods down. Take vitamin supplements if you have trouble eating fruits and vegetables while you’re sick.

Final Thoughts

These orthodontic tips will help you when you have a cold or flu and need to maintain your oral health. When you have braces, you need to be on top of your oral care regimen, even if you’re feeling exhausted and throwing up. Don’t make excuses for yourself when you’re sick, allowing you to slack up on your dental regimen.

If you’re vomiting, you must avoid brushing your teeth for at least 30 minutes and immediately rinse your mouth with water. Brushing your teeth after vomiting can coat the stomach acid over your teeth and wear down your enamel.

Looking for braces or Invisalign? Looking for an board certified Orthodontist in Central NJ that treats kids, teens and adults? Bordentown Braces serves all surrounding areas of Bordentown, NJ including:

  1. Burlington County NJ
  2. Allentown NJ
  3. Hamilton NJ
  4. Hamilton Square NJ
  5. Robbinsville NJ
  6. Central New Jersey
  7. McGuire Air Force Base
  8. And other areas