New Year's Resolution For Dental Care

A new year means new and exciting opportunities for you! Many people have new year's resolutions that tend to focus on getting back into shape or improving professionally, but don’t forget about your dental hygiene! Below are 5 tips to make sure 2017 is a year you can smile about.:D

1. Improving Your Daily Dental Hygiene Habits

We’ve all been told since we were kids about the importance of taking care of our teeth daily. These same childhood lessons hold true during adulthood as well. To keep your teeth as healthy as possible, we recommend you brush your teeth twice a day with a deep cleaning toothbrush like Philips’ Sonicare. You need to change your toothbrush regularly, too!

Stop us if you’ve heard this from a dentist before, but you should be flossing once a day. Brushing alone only reaches about? of your tooth surface. By not flossing, bacteria will begin to build. The longer you allow it to accumulate, the worse gum inflammation and bleeding will be. This buildup can not only cause gum disease, but it has also been linked to a vast amount of non-oral diseases including heart disease, rheumatoid arthritis, and more.

It’s only a few minutes out of your day, but will improve and may even save years of your life!

2. Healthier Diet, Healthier Smile

Eating healthy does not only improve your physique, but also your pretty smile! To keep your teeth healthy and pearly white, limit the sugary snacks and beverages. If you cave in (which we all do?), make sure to brush after.

Eating a lot of fruits and vegetables will help. Both can clean plaque from your teeth and even freshen your breath. They provide antioxidants and other nutrients that help fight bacteria and prevent inflammation.

3. Quit Smoking or Using Other Tobacco Problems

We’re aware of how harmful smoking and tobacco usage are to our overall health, but did you know it’s especially awful for your oral health? Chronic smokers suffer from increased dental problems that make their smiles unsightly. Tobacco intake will turn teeth yellow, and sometimes even brown.

Aside from tooth discoloration, tobacco increases the likeliness of cavities, gum recession, gum disease, tooth loss, and throat, lung and oral cancer.

4. Limit Your Alcohol Intake

With the holidays over, it’s time to put the bottles down and get back on track. According to the American Dental Association, excessive alcohol consumption causes dehydration and dry mouth. This reduction of saliva can lead to tooth decay and oral infections such as gum disease. It also increases the risk of mouth cancer. Knowing this, it’s best for the health of your smile that you take shots of mouthwash, instead.

5. See Your Dentist For Regular Checkups

While caring for your teeth at home is certainly beneficial, you need regular appointments to have your teeth cleaned and examined by professionals. They’ll be able to accurately monitor your teeth’s health, as well as provide extensive dental care, if necessary. We know a great team of dentists that would be more than happy to help.

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