No, of course you won’t be placing sunscreen directly onto your teeth and gums. However, it’s important to consider the ways protecting yourself from the sun’s harmful rays can actually contribute to your smile in direct and indirect ways. Wondering if it’s time you begin making SPF-based cosmetic, lip care, or just plain old sunscreen a part of your daily life? Let’s explore this oral health related topic, so you’re fully informed.

Protecting Your Lips

It’s easy to forget about your lips during the summer months and even during the cooler seasons. For the most part, they seem to be quite resilient, so they can become the least important priority on your list for the day. However, it’s significant to recognize that cancer can affect your lips just like it can the rest of your skin. To prevent the development of oral health and other problems associated with sun damage, we suggest that in addition to wearing sunscreen on your face, you place some on your lips, too (all year round, if you can manage it).

Preserving Your Appearance

In some instances, it’s not necessarily your oral health that is at risk but the way your appearance takes a hit from the sun. For instance, you can have the whitest, straightest teeth around but it doesn’t mean you are going to be happy with your appearance if you have been skipping out on the sunscreen. Slather it onto your face, your body, and your lips to avoid aged skin that takes away from an otherwise youthful looking smile.