During the Movement Control Order (MCO) everyone was staying at home and only going out for absolute necessities. This included getting groceries and any emergencies that needed immediate attention. During this period, dental clinics were only allowed to treat emergency cases. Everyone else had to wait until the end of MCO to seek treatment. As a result, dentists are seeing a lot of serious dental problems now.
Now that dental clinics have been open for a few months, patients are slowly coming back for treatment. Due to the inability to seek treatment, small dental problems have now grown to become very serious. In fact, some patients started off with small cavities that have led to infections.
So what has caused this sudden surge in dental problems? Aside from not being able to treat it early, dentists are also identifying diets as a cause. While everyone was home during the MCO, our eating habits began to change.
Staying at home all day every day certainly affected our way of eating. Baking and cooking became very popular as we found comfort in sugary treats. Other than that, many of us also found ourselves reaching out for a snack.
Unfortunately, these snacks and drinks are high in sugar and carbohydrates which can affect our teeth. Additionally, brushing our teeth twice a day didn’t seem as important since we were only at home.
It is important to take care of our dental hygiene. This includes brushing twice a day and flossing regularly. Moreover, make sure to brush properly and don’t forget to give your tongue a light scrub. As dentists have been pointing out, diets also play an important role. Go for crunchy fruits and vegetables, avoid sugary snacks, and drink plenty of water!
