What College Students Need to Know About Their Oral Health

What College Students Need to Know About Their Oral Health

Our teeth are with us for our entire lives and it’s important that you do your best to preserve your oral health throughout your younger years so you’ll still have all of your original teeth when you’re 80! College students got a lot on their minds and even more on their plates, but that doesn’t mean you can let your oral health slip to the back-burner. Here are four things college students need to know about their oral health:

Those energy drinks are ruining your teeth!

Plenty of college students turn to coffee and energy drinks for the all-nighters and last minute study sessions. And while the caffeine and sugar might give you that extra kick to get you through the night the sugars and acids in energy drinks can wreck havoc on your teeth! Researcher Poonam Jain at the Southern Illinois University School of Dental Medicine conducted a study back in 2012 that found energy drinks were twice as bad as sports drinkswhen it comes to causing tooth damage. The researcher suggested that if you NEED that energy drink to make it through the day dilute it with water so it’s not quite the acid attack on your enamel. You could also drink it out of a straw to limit how much contact the liquid has with your teeth. And be sure to brush your teeth an hour later (so the enamel has time to re-harden) to remove the leftover sugars an acids.

Late night snacks can do long-term damage.

Falling asleep without brushing your teeth (a crime many college students are guilty of!) means the sugars and acids in your late night snack have all night to eat away at the enamel on your teeth. Leftover food particles are also the perfect breeding ground for gingivitis causing bacteria, which also causes bad breath. You should be brushing your teeth for a solid two minutes, a time limit plenty of adults don’t meet, but even 45 seconds before you call it a night is better than nothing at all. Be sure to brush and floss properly when you do finally wake up in the morning!

Red wine can really stain your teeth.

Red wine contains chromogens and tannins and is notorious for staining teeth. Most people don’t like drinking wine out of a straw, but the next time your graduate department hosts a wine and cheese party don’t despair! Cheese actually helps coat your teeth with calcium, which can prevent discoloration. Hard cheeses like cheddar and havarti are the best for fighting stains because they help close micro pores in your teeth, making them slightly more stain resistant.

You still need to have regular checkups with your dentist.

During the college year your “normal” routine is anything but normal, especially if you are going to an out-of-state school and are really on your own. But no matter where you go to school your teeth come with you and they still need a regular checkup and cleaning! Look for a new, local dentist in your area so you can get your normal 6 month checkup and keep your teeth in fighting shape.