Sick With a Cold or the Flu? How to Look After Your Teeth Until You Feel Better

11 minutes ago

6 min read

When you're sick, your teeth need a little extra attention. Choose sugar-free cough drops, rinse after syrupy cold medicine, drink plenty of water to fight dry mouth, and wait about 30 minutes to brush after a stomach bug. Keep brushing twice a day even when you feel awful.

That's the short version. The longer version is below, because the next few weeks are when it matters. The clocks have gone back, it's dark by five, the furnace is running, and around Gates and Chili the coughing has already started in classrooms and offices. Most of us are thinking about soup and sleep when we're sick, not our molars. Fair enough. But a week of cough drops and little sleep can leave a mark you only find out about at your next cleaning.

Cough drops: read the label before you stock up

A lot of cough drops are basically hard candy with menthol. That's fine for one or two. The trouble is how we use them when we're sick: one after another, all day, sometimes falling asleep with one tucked in a cheek. That keeps sugar sitting against your teeth for hours, which is the exact situation cavity-causing bacteria like best.

Sugar-free cough drops are easy to find at any Wegmans or pharmacy, and they work the same way for a scratchy throat. If you already have a bag of the regular kind at home, try not to keep one going nonstop, and never sleep with one in your mouth.

Liquid cold medicine and syrups

Cough syrup and liquid cold medicine are often sweetened so they go down easier, and some are acidic too. Kids' versions especially. That thick coating sticks to teeth, and many people take a dose right before bed, then go straight to sleep.

A few easy habits help:

Take liquid medicine with a meal when the directions allow it.
Rinse with water afterward, or brush if it's your bedtime dose.
Ask your pharmacist if a pill or sugar-free version would work for you.
For kids, a quick sip of water after the medicine spoon is better than nothing.

Always follow the dosing directions from your doctor or pharmacist. None of this means skipping medicine you need. It just means giving your teeth a rinse afterward.

Dry mouth from decongestants, antihistamines and mouth breathing

A stuffy nose means breathing through your mouth, often all night. Many decongestants and antihistamines can also dry your mouth out. Add a furnace pumping dry air through the house in November and you can wake up feeling like you swallowed a cotton ball.

Saliva does a lot of quiet work. It rinses away food, helps neutralize acids and keeps the tissues in your mouth comfortable. When there isn't much of it, teeth are easier targets for decay and breath gets worse fast.

What helps: sip water through the day, keep a glass by the bed, chew sugar-free gum if you're up for it, and think about running a humidifier in the bedroom. If dry mouth sticks around long after your cold is gone, mention it at your next visit so Dr. Lubes can take a look and talk through what might be causing it.

Stomach bug? Don't brush right away

This one surprises people. After you throw up, your first instinct is to brush. But stomach acid softens the surface of your enamel for a little while, and scrubbing right away can wear away more of it.

Instead, rinse your mouth with plain water (or a cup of water with a teaspoon of baking soda stirred in), spit, and wait about 30 minutes before you brush. Then brush gently with fluoride toothpaste. Same goes for kids who come down with something at school.

If you're trying to stay hydrated, water is the best choice for your teeth. Sports drinks and juice can help when you need something more, but they carry sugar and acid, so drink them with a straw if you can and don't sip one bottle for hours.

When your teeth ache and it's actually your sinuses

The roots of your upper back teeth sit right under your sinuses. When a cold turns into sinus congestion, that pressure can feel a lot like a toothache. Often it's several upper teeth at once, on one or both sides, and it can get worse when you bend over or climb stairs.

Sinus-related tooth pain usually fades as the congestion clears. If it doesn't, or if the pain is focused on one tooth, is sharp with hot or cold, or comes with swelling, call the office. A cold can make it hard to tell what's going on, and a tooth problem won't go away on its own just because the sniffles did.

Your toothbrush and your sick days

You don't need to make a big production of this, but a little common sense goes a long way, especially in a house full of kids passing things around:

Keep each person's toothbrush separate so the heads don't touch.
Let brushes air-dry upright instead of sealing them in a closed case.
Don't share toothbrushes or tubes that touch the bristles.
If your brush is already worn out or close to three months old, swap in a new one once you're feeling better.

And keep brushing. When you're exhausted and achy it's tempting to skip a night or two. Two minutes, twice a day, with fluoride toothpaste is still the most useful thing you can do for your teeth this winter. Floss when you can manage it.

What if you're sick on the day of your appointment?

It happens. Somebody wakes up with a fever the morning of a cleaning. Give the office a call at (585) 247-1530 as early as you can and let them know. The team can help you figure out whether to keep the visit or find a new time.

If you do need to reschedule, try to get the new date on the calendar before you hang up. December fills up quickly with people fitting in visits before the holidays, and many dental plans reset their benefits on January 1. Westside Family Dentistry accepts most versions of Excellus, Cigna and Health Economics plans, and the front desk can help you check where you stand for the year.

A few easy things to keep on hand this season

If you like to be ready before the first cold hits the house, here's a short list worth picking up next time you're out on Buffalo Road:

Sugar-free cough drops
A spare toothbrush for each family member
Fluoride toothpaste
Sugar-free gum
A small bedroom humidifier

None of it is expensive, and it means you won't be digging through the cabinet for the old candy-style lozenges at 2 a.m.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are sugar-free cough drops better for my teeth?

Yes. Regular cough drops are mostly sugar, and using them all day keeps that sugar on your teeth for hours. Sugar-free versions soothe your throat the same way without feeding cavity-causing bacteria.

Should I brush my teeth right after throwing up?

Wait about 30 minutes. Rinse with water, or water mixed with a teaspoon of baking soda, first. Stomach acid softens enamel for a short time, and brushing right away can wear it down.

Can a sinus infection make my teeth hurt?

It can. Your upper back teeth sit just below the sinuses, so congestion can feel like a toothache. If the pain lasts after your cold clears or centers on one tooth, call the office to have it checked.

Do I need a new toothbrush after being sick?

Keeping brushes apart and letting them air-dry matters most. If your brush is worn or about three months old anyway, replacing it once you feel better is an easy fresh start.

What should I do if I'm sick on the day of my dental appointment?

Call Westside Family Dentistry at (585) 247-1530 as early as you can. The team can help you decide whether to keep the visit or reschedule.

Feeling better? Come see us

Once you're back on your feet, it's a good time to check in on your teeth, especially if your last cleaning was a while ago or something felt off while you were sick. Dr. Martin Lubes has been caring for families in Gates, Chili and Rochester's west side for decades, kids through grandparents.

Westside Family Dentistry is at 2300 Buffalo Road, Building 800A, in Rochester, across from The Home Depot. Call (585) 247-1530 to schedule. Office hours are Monday through Thursday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. (closed for lunch from 1 to 2) and Friday 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.