Keep Your Breath Fresh And Your Teeth Healthy This Valentine's Day

With Valentine's Day coming up, maybe you're making plans with your significant other or you're planning to take a chance and finally ask out that person you've been crushing on. Either way, you'll want to make sure your breath is fresh before attempting to interact with your person of choice. Some V-Day rituals like eating chocolate candy though, can make maintaining fresh breath and also just overall good oral health harder than it should be. Here are some tips to keep in mind this Valentine's Day and all year round.

Take a Travel-Sized Mouthwash With You on the Go or Use Sugar-Free Gum

If you'll be nibbling on chocolates or those little hearts with messages on them all day long, make sure you are prepared to keep your breath fresh. Take a travel-sized mouthwash with you in your briefcase or purse to work or keep one in the glove box in your car. If that doesn't work for you, you could also rely on sugar-free gum or mints, just make sure they are the sugar-free kind so they don't assist in the development of candies.

While you're at it, remember that If you have a teen or kid at home who will be getting Valentine's from other kids in school, all of which are likely accompanied by candy, you can encourage your child to use these same tips. Get a few bottles of that mouthwash or a couple of packs of sugar-free gum so the entire family is prepared.

Go Easy When Chomping Down on Those Candy Hearts and Other Hard Candies

If you know you'll be getting lots of candy hearts with "Be Mine" and other messages written on them all day long, you can accept the gift, but keep in mind that you don't actually have to eat all of them. If you will partake in hard candy, chew one at a time and use caution. Especially hard candies can damage your tooth enamel or even lead to a chipped or broken tooth if you really bite down on it in the wrong way.

Schedule an Appointment With Your Local Dentist

For best results this Valentine's Day and all year long, make sure you are keeping up with your appointments or checkups at your local family dentist. Schedule an appointment for yourself or any other family member that needs one ahead of Valentine's Day to ensure there are no cavities or other issues in your mouth that might be contributing to bad breath during one of the most romantic days of the year. Contact a local family dentist to get more tips.