It’s flu season in Toronto and Dr. Norma Chou, Orthodontist says not to forget to take care of your teeth during flu season. Dr. Chou warns that some of the remedies you use to help get over the flu can lead to cavities if you are not careful. So to avoid cavities this flu season, follow this advice.

Just because cough drops are sold in the medicine aisle doesn’t mean that they are healthy. Dr. Chou notes that most cough drops are loaded with sugar. So after soothing your throat with a lozenge, be sure to brush well especially if you wear braces. Whether the sugar comes from a cough drop or a hard candy, it reacts with the sticky plaque that coats your teeth. Then bacteria in the plaque convert the sugar into an acid that eats away at tooth enamel. Hello, cavities.

Sometimes we need a little soda to help us feel better during the cold and flu season but don’t forget about your teeth! Candy isn’t the only culprit when it comes to added sugar. Sodas can have up to 11 teaspoons of sugar per serving. To add insult to injury, sodas also contain phosphoric and citric acids, which eat away at tooth enamel. Diet soft drinks let you skip the sugar, but they may have even more acid in the form of the artificial sweeteners. Dr. Chou and her team feel that you need to make sure that you rinse your mouth with water or brush your teeth after consuming sugar sodas to prevent cavities.