Washing These 4 Things Can Help Fend Off Germs!

At Access Dental and Dentures, your health is important to us! We help keep your smile happy and healthy with the best dental services in Southern Missouri. Today we have some great tips to help you stay healthy during the winter and prevent the spread of germs and bacteria. Check out our tips below for the four things we think are really important to keep clean.

1) Hands

During cold and flu season, there seem to be signs posted everywhere reminding people to wash their hands to help stay healthy and prevent the spread of germs. They couldn't be more right! Properly and regularly washing your hands can effectively kill germs and prevent bacteria and contagious diseases from spreading. Unfortunately, it is very common for people to either not wash their hands at all, or to simply rinse with water and no soap. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), you should wash your hands vigorously for 15-20 seconds with soap and water using five simple steps: wet, lather, scrub, rinse, and dry.

It is important to regularly wash your hands because it is very common to touch your eyes, nose, and mouth. You may think you are more aware of your face-touching tendencies than you are... Get an eyelash stuck in your eye? Nose itching just a bit? Lipstick smudged? Putting your make-up on? There are many reasons throughout the day that may cause someone to touch their face without even thinking about it. If your hands are dirty, then those germs have just made their way to your face and now have an easy route into your body to get you sick.

2) Face

Washing your face is not just important for a beauty routine. Keeping germs and bacteria off of your face is helpful in preventing illness. Your face endures a lot throughout the day: sunscreen, make-up, pollutants in the air, oils from your hands and fingers, food and drink particles around your mouth, puppy kisses, germs from the office phone, your pillowcase, and so much more.

Regularly cleansing your face of the oils, dust, and germs it comes into contact with during the day is important. It prevents bacteria from growing on your skin and helps keep germs away from your eyes, nose, and mouth. It also frees up your pores and allows your skin to repair itself overnight while you sleep.

3) Phone

Take a moment to think about where your phone has been over the last month... desktops at work, the bottom of your purse, back pockets, in the couch crack, and maybe even bathroom countertops. Now think about the last time you thoroughly cleaned the surface of your phone... The thought alone is enough to make you squirm!

Cell phones have been shown in some studies to have ten times more bacteria than most toilet seats (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5466825/). Gross! Think about all of the places you set your phone down, even for a moment. As your phone goes through its life, it is constantly picking up germs, dust, oils, make-up, and so much more. Keep a microfiber cloth with you to wipe away buildup on a daily basis, and be sure to disinfect your whole phone (take the case off!) with an antibacterial wipe.

4) Toothbrush

Some people assume that their toothbrush is squeaky clean. After all, shouldn't it get cleaned the same time it is cleaning your teeth with all the scrubbing and toothpaste? Unfortunately, the bristles can capture quite a bit of unpleasant substances during use: food particles, blood, saliva contaminated with viruses or bacteria, and more. If your toothbrush sits on the open counter in your bathroom, it could even collect fecal matter from particles released from the toilet.

Keep your toothbrush stored in a cool, dry space as far away from the toilet as possible. Do not keep your toothbrush in a cap or travel holder for long periods of time. The warmth and moisture could accelerate bacterial growth rather than keep your toothbrush safe. Cleaning your toothbrush in boiling water and with anti-bacterial mouthwash could help reduce the amount of bacterial growth and the spread of germs.

Your Oral Health

Access Dental is the best dentist in the Springfield area, and your oral health is our top priority! In addition to these tips to keep your hands, face, phone, and toothbrush clean, we can help keep your teeth and mouth in top condition. Schedule a dental checkup at the location most convenient for you - find the Access Dental nearest you here!

We want to be your dentist because your family deserves a great smile! 

1-877-DENTIST

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