3 Tips To Avoid Reinfecting Your Cold Sores While Brushing Your Teeth
Cold sores can make an appearance on any part of your body, but they are usually found around your mouth and facial area. The sores are painful to deal with because they are a type of blister. This means that the cold sore will open up, revealing new skin. At this time, the skin needs to be treated with care because of how easily it can become reinfected. A reinfected cold sore can spread to other areas in your mouth and land you at the dentist's office. Cold sores often make it difficult to brush your teeth. However, there are a few tips that may help you to avoid reinfecting your cold sore while brushing your teeth.
Use a Soft Bristle Brush
A soft bristle brush is commonly recommended to use when brushing your teeth because of how delicate and gentle it is. This is also why it should be used when you have a cold sore. The bristles are gentle enough that they will not inflame or irritate the sore. Even if you do mistakenly scratch the cold sore, it will not aggravate the sore.
Use a Cold Sore Patch
Instead of leaving your cold sore exposed, you can use a cold sore patch to cover it up. The patch contains a healing gel called hydrocolloid. The gel works to speed up the healing process. The patch functions the same way a bandage does. It helps to protect your cold sore from reinfection until it fully heals. This is great to wear while brushing your teeth to avoid accidentally touching your sore or putting toothpaste on the wound.
Use a Cup to Rinse Your Mouth
If you have a cold sore right next to your mouth, then you might have some difficulty rinsing your mouth without touching your cold sore. Instead of using your hands as a cup to rinse your mouth, use an actual cup. Using your hands as a cup can be a bit sloppy and increase your chances of infecting someone else. When dealing with cold sores, you want to minimize any contact the sores have with any foreign substances. As a result, drinking out of a cup will help to streamline the rinsing process.
Cold sores heal best when they are left alone. When you are dealing with cold sores around your mouth this can be difficult to do, especially when it is time to brush your teeth. Therefore, use these tips to ensure that you are able to brush your teeth without reinfecting your cold sore.
For more help, contact a dental office like Alegre Dental and Braces.
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