GOING OFF TO UNIVERSITY or college often drastically changes a young adult’s normal at-home routines. They’re often more interested in parties and studies. Brushing and flossing, making healthy eating choices, and keeping up with routine appointments can become a much lower priority for university students.
Late Night University Life
One of the biggest lifestyle changes for cuniversity students is the surge in late-night study sessions and all-nighters. To stay awake, many students consume large amounts of coffee, energy drinks, or fizzy drinks. These can be very bad for thier teeth. Drinking lots of water is one way to help reduce the risk of enamel erosion and tooth decay caused by the increase in acidic and sugary drinks.
At the end of these long nights of caffeinated studying or partying, it is important that students brush, floss and rinse strong>before going to bed or starting the new day.
Snacking is also more common during life at university and college which can be detrimental to oral health. If snacks are consumed, choose healthy ones. It’s better to snack on things like dairy products, fresh fruit and nuts than sweets, dried fruit and other sticky, sugary foods.
Wisdom Teeth
Wisdom teeth generally come through between the ages of 18-21 years old. Your dentist’s monitoring and evaluation of wisdom teeth growth and placement can be very important for college students. Together we can determine whether or not they need to be removed and can prevent pain and discomfort that could potentially interrupt studies.
A New Year and Bad Habits
With the start of life at college or university there often comes a new lifestyle, students should be wary of any new bad habits they may be developing. Has sugar intake changed and increased? Is brushing your teeth twice a day still routine? Are regularly scheduled dental check-up appointments still being made and being kept?
During university, normal routines are disrupted, so if you’re a college or univerity student (or if you know one to remind) be sure to keep up with regular exams and cleanings. We want to help you keeping your smile happy and healthy so you can focus on what’s important – your degree studies!
Top image by Flickr user CollegeDegrees360 used under Creative Commons Attribution-Sharealike 4.0 license. Image cropped and modified from original.
