As December starts to wind down from the holiday rush, many people want to use this opportunity to have a new healthy mindset and habits they want to start practicing next year.
If you also start writing your new year’s resolution, then today is the perfect time to include your oral health as your priority.
New Year’s Resolution For A Brighter Smile
If you want to face the new year with a healthy smile, taking care of your oral health should not have to be complicated.
Simple and effective dental care habits can ensure a beautiful smile for a long time.
Here are a few dental tips to add to your new year’s resolutions list for a healthier smile next year and more years to come!
1. Brush your teeth better
Use fluoride-based toothpaste to maintain healthy teeth.
Brush your teeth gently for two minutes at least twice a day.
Use a soft-bristled toothbrush to avoid any damage to your tooth enamel.
To keep your habit of brushing your teeth for two minutes, time yourself from your mobile phone. Use an alarm clock to remind yourself to brush your teeth every morning after breakfast and before sleep.
When brushing your teeth, hold your toothbrush at a 45-degree angle to your gumline. Clean between your teeth as well with dental floss.
Lastly, rinse your mouth with an antiseptic mouth rinse after brushing.
Brushing your teeth better and maintaining this routine two times a day will improve your oral health next year.
2. Focus on Your Flossing
Brushing your teeth is the basic foundation of obtaining a healthy smile.
However, flossing is equally as vital for your oral health. Take note that regular brushing cannot clean all parts of your teeth.
Flossing will ensure healthy gums and cleaner teeth in-betweens. In addition, flossing can help prevent periodontal disease and bone loss.
However, flossing may be time-consuming and inconvenient to some.
That is why choosing a specific schedule of when you floss can be a great strategy to keep your flossing habit in check.
The evening can be a better schedule to keep this oral care routine before sleeping.
Keep your floss accessible by placing it on the bathroom counter and pack extra floss in your pocket or purse so you can still use it at school or work.
Lastly, you can also use dental floss picks to make it more convenient to maintain your flossing routine.
Keeping this habit as part of your new year’s resolution will ensure a healthier smile and prevent some dental health problems.
3. Choose healthier beverages and food options
Your diet plays a vital part in your oral health as well.
What you eat could become a portion of food for bacteria in your mouth, leading to gum disease and other conditions.
In addition, unhealthy food and beverage consumption by drinking acidic or sugary ones (sweet juices, sodas) and eating sweet snacks can create an acidic environment that promotes tooth decay.
Commit to switching your soda consumption to drinking enough water daily instead.
Another new year’s resolution on your list could be eating nutritious snacks and meals to promote good oral and overall health.
Dairy foods are rich in calcium and good for your teeth. Drinking milk or consuming dairy products increases saliva production.
Eating foods rich in fibre, like apples and carrots, help scrub your plaque away.
A healthy diet after the Christmas holidays is a great way to start a healthier year and could benefit your oral health.
4. It is time to quit smoking
Using tobacco products not only affects your dental health. Countless findings show how smoking or chewing tobacco can affect your overall health. Discontinuing this habit will avoid potential gum disease, tooth discoloration, and other effects of tobacco products.
Today is the perfect time to commit to quitting your smoking habit. Yes, Nicotine is very addictive. The good news is that professionals can help you recover from this addiction.
You can consult a medical or dental professional for expert insight.
5. Schedule Your Dental Appointments
Lastly, if it has been a long time since you visit your dentist, it is time to schedule a dental appointment.
We recommend having a dental visit at least two times per year.
We know that an oral care routine is already essential to your dental health.
However, regular visits to your dental professional can help detect potential dental issues or prevent them from happening.
A great habit that you can do next year is to allocate a budget for regular dental visits. Saving a budget for your check-up and maintenance can prevent your teeth from having more dental issues.
Choosing small but healthy habits like regularly visiting your dentist could help you from saving more money on dental procedures that may cost more than a regular check-up.
So choose your habits wisely.
Tooth For Thought
Your health is one of your best investments, including your oral health.
Creating a new year’s resolution for your oral health will help you solidify your oral care routines and habits that will maintain your smile next year and for years to come.
A great way to start your new year is to visit your dental care provider to assess your oral health condition and provide a professional consultation and oral care routines customized for your dental needs.
At Connolly Family Dentistry, we provide a personalized dental consultation to improve and maintain your healthy smile.
Contact us today to learn more about how we can support your New Year’s resolutions for your oral health.
