5 Dental Care Resolutions for 2020!
Now that a new year is upon us it’s naturally time to start thinking about New Year’s resolutions! You’re probably focusing on things like losing weight, moving forward in your career, increasing your finances or improving some other aspect of your life. But there is another area that deserves to play a role in your 2020 New Year resolution plans: your mouth health! Choosing to take steps to ensure your mouth stays as healthy as it can this year will have lasting effects for years to come.
Top Resolutions for 2020
If you’re looking to make some easy changes that can help keep your teeth and gums healthy, here are 5 top tips that can help keep you on track with your 2020 resolution:
1. Create a routine
One of the easiest and best ways you can keep your mouth health in top form is to adopt and maintain a great teeth cleaning routine. Following a regular brushing and flossing routine can help prevent gum disease (gingivitis), tooth decay and bad breath, ensuring your teeth stay in top form for the coming year.
Flossing and brushing your teeth twice a day and after sugary meals can help reduce the buildup of cavity-causing plaque on your teeth, helping them to stay strong and healthy. Use a soft bristled manual or electric toothbrush when brushing to ensure you don’t hurt your gums and can get all the food particles out of your teeth.
2. Drink More Water
Not only is water an important part of a healthy diet, it’s something that plays a large role in mouth health, too! Drinking water can help reduce staining and discolouration by rinsing out any food or drink particles left on your teeth that might stick around.
Beverages like coffee, tea, juice, pop and alcohol contain acids and sugars that can eat away at enamel. Switching over to water as often as you can will help decrease the likelihood of cavities and tooth decay from these drinks. If there’s times you can’t cut out these drinks, rinsing your mouth with water after drinking them can also help prevent any possible damage.
3. Quit Smoking
While you may know that smoking bad for your overall health, you might not realize that it’s actually bad for your teeth, too. This year make it a resolution to kick that bad habit and start looking out for your mouth health!
Some of the chemicals found in cigarettes will reduce the amount of saliva produced by your mouth, preventing your teeth from being naturally rinsed as needed. Smoking can also lead to tooth discolouration, gum disease and mouth and tongue cancer.
4. Adjust Your Diet
Perhaps the most impactful resolution you can make for your teeth is to resolve to eat foods that are better for your teeth. When you decide to eat less sugar and consume more teeth-friendly foods the health of your teeth will no doubt improve.
Things like candy, carbohydrates and citrus fruits can eat away at tooth enamel leading to higher risks of cavity formation and gum irritation. These kinds of foods tend to stick to teeth, making them hard for your natural saliva formation to clean them out and keep your teeth healthy and strong.
Increasing your consumption of things like calcium-rich dairy products and fibrous vegetables can help teeth to maintain their strength and stay clean, even between brushings.
5. Schedule Regular Cleanings
One the easiest ways to stay on top of your mouth health resolution is to make an appointment to see your dentist regularly. Scheduling a check up and a cleaning twice a year will make sure your teeth are cleaned of any cavity causing plaque that could lead to issues in the long run. Your regular dental check-up will also ensure that your dentist can stay on top of any concerns that might turn into more significant issues down the road.
Stay on top of your mouth health
This year, make it a New Year’s resolution to stay on top of your mouth health! Ensuring that you stay on top of your brushing and flossing, ditching your bad habits like smoking and pop drinking, and improving your diet to include more teeth friendly foods will help you approach the new year with a bright white smile.
