Threats to summer smiles.

• Position: Warm Weather

The long, sunny days of summer bring a lot of fun, but some of the most popular seasonal activities also can damage your oral health, cautions DentalPlans, Plantation, Fla. Here is how to help ensure that both your summer and smile are bright and healthy:

Swimming. Spend six hours or more per week doing laps and your teeth may develop a yellow or brown tinge that requires a professional cleaning to remove. This is called "swimmer's calculus" and is caused by the relatively high pH--as compared to saliva--of chemically treated pool water. While daily use of an electronic toothbrush and whitening toothpaste may help reduce swimmer's calculus, it is important to talk to your dentist before you begin aggressively cleaning teeth at home--your dental enamel may not be able to withstand abrasive toothpastes.

Scuba. "Barodontalgia" also known as "tooth squeeze," is pain caused by a change in air pressure. This syndrome typically does not affect healthy teeth, but can cause problems for those with gum disease, dental infections, decay, abscesses, and failing or incomplete dental restoration work. If you like to dive, regular dental checkups and good oral hygiene will make your underwater adventures far more pleasant--and, if you do experience tooth squeeze, treat it as a cue that you need to see your dentist.

Sports. Roughly one-quarter of dental injuries in children are attributable to sports accidents, according to the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, Chicago, Ill. If the summer sports that your children enjoy include impact and speed--think baseball, soccer, volleyball, tennis, bike riding, skateboarding, etc.--you may want to consider having them use a mouth guard. Obviously, no one wants to don protective gear while engaging in every activity that potentially could cause an injury, so figure out what makes sense for you and your family. Talk to your dentist about protecting teeth during sports--for kids as well as adults--along with how to perform first aid for dental emergencies.

Social media. Summer vacation equals free time for many teens, which may increase their use of social media. Parents should be aware that do-it-yourself dentistry is trending on sites such as YouTube--with videos on at-home orthodontics treatment suggesting that you easily can perfect your smile by wrapping rubber bands around your teeth. The American Association of Orthodontists, St. Louis, Mo., has issued a consumer alert about the trend, noting that the...