The dawn of a new calendar year often spurs a time of reflection, whereby you assess your actions and outcomes from the previous year in order to reprioritize and create a plan to move forward. For many, this means setting New Year’s resolutions, including common goals like weight loss and debt reduction, just for example.
However, you don’t want to neglect other areas where you could stand to see some improvement, and if you’ve avoided the topic of oral health, now is the perfect time to plan for a healthier smile. Here are just a few resolutions to help you accomplish this goal.
1. Dental diet
The foods and beverages you consume can do more than affect your overall health – they can also have a marked impact on your oral health. When you ingest a lot of sugar, for example, you can do serious harm to your teeth. Sticky sugars cling to teeth and create the perfect breeding ground for harmful bacteria, leading to plaque and tarter buildup, and eventually, more serious issues like tooth decay and gum disease.
Make a resolution to cut back on sugary sodas, candy, and more and you could see reduction of cavities and other oral health issues as a result. Don’t forget, you can also introduce helpful foods into your diet. Adequate calcium supports good bone health, which includes healthy teeth, and snacking on crisp fruits and veggies like apples, carrots, celery, and so on can help to scrape harmful biofilm off teeth to keep them clean between brushing.
2. Upgrade oral hygiene
If you’ve relied mainly on brushing to keep your teeth clean, this is the year to commit to adding flossing and rinsing with mouthwash to your routine. These measures help to clean away food and bacteria stuck between teeth and under the gum line, reducing the risk of tooth decay and gum disease.
3. Visit the dentist
Plenty of adults skip the recommended annual dental visit for cleaning, checkup, and x-rays. However, this only allows oral health issues to fester. Good oral hygiene at home can do a lot to preserve oral health, but without professional examination, treatment, and preventive care, a minor issue could grow into something much more serious.
4. Address oral health issues
If you’ve been putting off deep cleaning or replacing old fillings, or you’ve simply grown used to cosmetic concerns like crowding or chipped or cracked teeth, it’s time to address these issues that could have a negative impact on oral health. Visit your dentist to discuss oral health and come up with a plan to move forward.
