Lip Care in Winter

Following some bitingly cold weather, we at Riverwalk Dental in Calgary want to ensure our patients understand proper lip and dry mouth care during winter. The low moisture in cold air makes lips vulnerable to chapping and damage to soft tissues in the mouth can have consequences for the teeth, as well.

It’s tempting this time of year to take long, hot showers, but this will cause skin to dry out faster. Evaporating water or saliva takes more moisture with it. Therefore, it is also a bad idea to use saliva to keep the lips wet. Even worse is tucking them inside the teeth: this will irritate them and, if done too often, could push the teeth out of alignment. A much better idea is to use lip balm, with the caveat that fragrances and menthol cause irritation to some people. If swelling or redness occurs, a change in products is necessary.

Dry mouth is also worse in the winter. The absence of saliva makes the mouth more vulnerable to infections such as dental caries. Humidifiers in the bedroom can provide significant relief, as can the use of throat moisturizers.

Dr. Jared Palmer and his team operate Riverwalk Dental at 540 6^th Avenue SE, Calgary, Alberta, T2G 1K5, Canada. To schedule an appointment, call 1-403-456-4994 or visit Riverwalk Dental.