How to Look After Your Teeth When You Have a Stomach Bug

If you have a sickness bug that is making you vomit a lot, then your mouth will be exposed to acids from your stomach. These acids can wash around your teeth, so you need to take extra care of your oral hygiene while you're sick. What should you do?

Wait to Brush

Your mouth will taste unpleasant after a bout of vomiting. Your first reaction may be to brush your teeth to get rid of the taste and clean up your mouth. However, this isn't necessarily a good thing. If you're vomiting up stomach acids, then brushing your teeth straight after you throw up can be damaging. Acids on the teeth can affect their enamel. If you brush too soon, then you could be brushing the acids into your teeth rather than off them. So, it's best to wait a while before you brush after you vomit. Look for other ways to freshen up your mouth and deal with the acids first.

Deal With the Acids

While you shouldn't brush your teeth too soon after throwing up, it's a good idea to try and deal with any residual acids. So, once your vomiting has subsided, take a mouthful of water, rinse it around your mouth and then spit it out. This will help get the acids away. If your mouth still tastes nasty, then using a mouthwash after a water rinse may also help. This will freshen your breath. Plus, if you use a mouthwash that contains fluoride, then the fluoride will give your teeth and their enamel an extra strengthening boost.

Start Using a New Toothbrush

There's not much point changing to a new toothbrush while you're in the middle of the stomach bug. However, this is worth doing once you start to feel better. The toothbrush you've been using while you are sick may have picked up germs and bacteria from your bug. It may not be in the healthiest of conditions. If you continue to use it, you may get sick again. So, once you're on the mend, throw away your old toothbrush and start using a new one. If you've been keeping your brush in the same place as other people's brushes, then it may be worth getting them to start using new brushes too.

While short vomiting bugs may not harm your teeth as long as take some extra care with them, extended vomiting can be harmful. If you're worried about the effects that throwing up might be having on your teeth, contact your local dental clinic.