Five New Year’s Resolutions for a Healthier Mouth

Here are some tips and advice to have a healthier mouth for the New Year and beyond.

Happy New Year! Well, we made it through another year, the holidays are now behind us and perhaps like many you’ve made some promises to yourself to make some changes in your life for 2016. However like so many, we make New Year’s resolutions, but not many of us are not likely to follow through. Turning over a new leaf in the New Year can be difficult as old habits can be hard to break, but finding a way to stick with it is important when that new leaf benefits your health. Here are some tips and advice to have a healthier mouth.

Tips for A Healthier Mouth

If you want to take better care when looking after your teeth and gums this year, these five resolutions can keep you on track:

1. Schedule a Dental Appointment

If it’s been a while since you’ve seen a dentist, you’re not alone, about one-third of people don’t see a dentist yearly. But booking this appointment is one of the most important things you can do when looking after your teeth. Issues such as sensitivity in the teeth or bleeding gums – are sure signs that it’s time to see a dentist. Even if your teeth look and feel fine, enter a reminder in your phone or calendar so that you can call your dentist in January for an appointment.

To make the process of scheduling visits easier, we book your next one before you leave our office.

2. Commit to Floss Like A Boss

Brushing your teeth twice a day isn’t enough to stop plaque from building up on your teeth, or to completely remove bits of food from your mouth. To take the best care of your teeth, you need to floss too. If you’re not in the habit of flossing, the New Year is a great time to start.

One way to make it easier to remember is putting a container of floss on top of or directly next to your toothpaste. Position the container so that you have to touch it when getting your toothpaste. Stash another container of floss in your bag or desk drawer at work, so that you can floss on the go if you forget to do it at home.

3. Cut Back on Sugar

A study published in September 2014 confirmed a direct link between the amounts of sugar a person eats and the amount of tooth decay he has. Cutting back on sugar can cut your risk for tooth decay considerably. The most convenient way to cut back on sugar is to reduce the number of sugary treats you buy. Simple swaps will help you cut back as well: Drink water instead of soda, or chew a piece of sugar-free gum when you have a craving for something sweet.

4. Kick the Habit

Smoking doubles your risk for gum disease and is linked to a host of other health issues. Pick a date to give up the habit, get rid of all the tobacco products from your home and solicit the support of your friends and family to help you quit. There will be cravings along the way, so it’s important to find a healthy activity to engage in when a craving kicks in. Feel free to see your general practitioner if you struggle to curb the addiction by yourself.

5. Eat More Mouth-Healthy Foods

When you cut back on sugar, resolve to add more orally healthy foods to your diet to solidify your diet’s benefit to your teeth. Nuts and seeds, which are high in calcium, are great for your teeth, as are fibrous foods that call up saliva and scrub away plaque and other food bits.

Make your resolutions as easy as possible to stick with, as this will help you keep them. Take things one step at a time, and if you forget to floss one day or eat a big piece of chocolate the next, don’t give up. Remember that there’s always tomorrow! But book that overdue dental appointment today! Call Evolve Dental Healing at 07 3720 1811.