The new year is coming, and it is time to ditch the bad dental habits. We encourage you to make a New Year resolution revolving around your oral health to save your health and money. Our professionals want you to be able to walk into the new year with good habits to implement and improve your oral health. There is more to good dental practice than brushing your teeth and seeing the dentist regularly. Your smile is your best accessory, and you should keep it healthy. We have a few accessible practices you can add to your lifestyle.
Setting Up a Good Brushing Routine:
Returning to basics and thoroughly practicing good habits is a great way to improve dental health. Ensure you are brushing twice a day for at least two minutes. If you aren’t brushing long enough, you are not properly cleaning them and could be leaving back plaque. Make sure you are also brushing every aspect of your teeth, which means the front, top, and back of all your teeth. It is not only important to brush thoroughly but also to implement flossing consistently. Flossing can help get rid of built-up plaque. According to the National Library of Medicine, 10% and 30% of adults admittedly do little to no flossing. The low percentage is worrisome, but many adults who do floss are not always doing it correctly. Ensure you get in between each tooth, moving the floss back and forth. Your brush can only get to so much surface area. Incorporating fluoride in your routine, even if it is a fluoride mouthwash, is an excellent way to strengthen your tooth enamel. All these habits can help prevent you from gum diseases and cavities.
Avoiding Unhealthy Foods or Drinks:
A great way to keep your mouth healthy is to avoid overprocessed foods. They are detrimental to your oral health. Avoid foods that contain high sugar or simple carbohydrates—for example, cookies, candy, chips, pretzels, etc. We also recommend you cut back on drinking sugar drinks such as coffee, tea, juice, or cocktails. These sugary drinks cause a build-up of growth in your mouth. The bacteria in your mouth eat starch and sugar, so overeating these things can contribute to tooth decay or gum disease. Staying
hydrated and drinking water throughout the day has many benefits for your overall health, including your oral health. It can help wash away food particulates and bacteria that may be lingering.
Quit Smoking and Other Bad Oral Habits:
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there has been a decline in cigarette usage. Even though there has been a decline, we still have nearly 28.3 million adults in the United States who smoke cigarettes. That doesn’t consider the other nicotine devices that have gained a lot of popularity in the past decade. Not only is smoking nicotine terrible for your overall health, but it is awful for your dental health. Tobacco can stain your teeth, gum disease, tooth decay, or oral cancer. A common bad habit that people have that affects oral health poorly is nail biting and chewing ice. These habits can significantly damage your teeth and lead to chips or cracks.
New Year, New Dentist:
It’s time to enter the new year with a fresh routine to ensure your teeth stay healthy. Implementing these good habits into your new dental practice will help your dental and overall health. If you are searching for a new dental hygienist, we welcome you to call us for an appointment. We would love to help you!