Sun’s Out – Make Sure You Protect Yourself!

All patients visiting our clinic are required to complete the Patient Screening Form before their visit.

Sun’s Out – Make Sure You Protect Yourself!
Sun’s Out – Make Sure You Protect Yourself!

Sun Protection and You! How your Dental Team ensures any concerns are addressed

The sun is out and it’s so beautiful! But as beautiful as it is, it can be very detrimental to our skin. As your Mississauga dentist, we want to ensure that you protect yourself and loved ones while enjoying the best summer has to offer!

Other than staying directly out of the sun’s exposure, sunscreen is the second best defence to protecting your skin. Using sunscreen helps protect from the long-term effects of the sun such as aging and skin cancer. Sunscreen also protects from the short term effects such as sun burns.

As recommended by the Canadian Dermatology Association, make sure that a proper broad-spectrum sunscreen with a sun protection factor (SPF) of 30 or higher is used for your day to day outings in the sun. Although no sunscreen on the market is able to block 100% of ultraviolet rays (UV), the most common level is SPF 30 which can block up to 97% of UV rays.

When applying sunscreen make sure that all surfaces are covered and sunscreen is evenly distributed. Reapply every couple of hours or right after sweating or swimming unless using a sunscreen that is made for this. Always follow the manufacturer’s instructions. Along with your skin, lip balms with SPF 30 or higher should also be used. It is also best to limit sun exposure between 11am-3pm as that is the time when the sun is at its peak and the UV rays are strongest.

If you frequently undergo sun exposure it is best to check moles and beauty marks often for any changes in colour, size and shape. If you notice there is some change you should get is checked by your physician or dermatologist. You should also be checking regularly for any lesions on the skin that can be itchy, tender or painful.

Did you know that as your oral health care provider, we not only check your teeth but are also trained to assess for any lesions inside/around the mouth and on the head and neck area during your treatment? If we suspect any lesions to be potentially dangerous we will refer accordingly a specialist. As with any condition, the sooner it is detected, the better the prognosis.

Your team at Credit River Dental Centre hopes you have a fantastic and safe summer!

*** For more information please visit the Canadian Dermatology Association : https://dermatology.ca/