Every year, many of us make New Year’s resolutions for our health and wellness. Whether it’s losing a few pounds, quitting a harmful habit or starting a healthy discipline, January is an opportunity to make a fresh start for the better.
Here are five smile-worthy New Year’s resolutions to consider for your oral health. We’ve also included reassuring facts on how Beautiful Smiles Family Dental Center provides peace of mind for those who’ve avoided the dentist based on fear, cost, or just plain being busy.
Five Doable New Year’s Resolutions for Your Smile
Brush & floss daily.
Brushing twice-a-day and flossing daily keeps harmful bacteria and plaque at bay, freshens your breath, and brightens your smile — which is typically the first thing people notice about you. Plus, it only takes a handful of minutes each day to floss and brush, so once you get into a routine it will be easy to maintain!
Make water your beverage of choice.
The health benefits of proper hydration are as true for your smile as they are for your body. Part of maintaining a healthy smile is keeping the pH level in your mouth at a good level. A healthy mouth is a non-acidic, neutral or alkaline mouth, with a pH level of 7.0 or above. All acidity weakens teeth. Minimizing the amount of time that acids are in contact with teeth can minimize damage. Drinking water with meals rinses harmful food particles away from teeth and helps restore your mouth to a neutral pH level more quickly than other beverages. This makes your mouth, and your dentist, happy. Drinking water as opposed to other beverages like juice, coffee or soda between meals hydrates the tissues in your mouth and reduces the intake of harmful acids contained in those other drinks.
Choose whole foods & avoid processed foods.
What’s good for your body is good for your smile in terms of nutrition. Processed foods are typically higher in sugar and starch than whole, unprocessed foods, so they break down and turn to harmful sugar in the mouth and body more quickly. Sugar and acid on the teeth accelerates the plaque-building process, which leads to decay. Whole foods tend to have more fiber and crunch, too, which helps naturally cleanse your teeth as you eat. And many fruits, veggies and grains have vitamins and minerals which are like superfoods for your teeth. An additional benefit? More crunching means more chewing, which produces more saliva, the body’s natural pH-restoring method for your mouth.
Check to see when your last dental appointment was.
Every single day, we see patients who can’t believe it’s been more than six months since their last dental visit. Time flies! You may not realize how overdue you are for your dental checkup or cleaning. Our office is more than happy to check the date of your last visit and schedule appointments for a cleaning, or to see your dentist, as needed.
Resolve to get the dental care you need.
Many of us can recall bad or even traumatic experiences at the dentist as a child, which may have you initially resisting making this particular goal part of your New Year’s resolutions. But today’s dentistry has changed for the better — especially at Beautiful Smiles Family Dental Center, where we’re committed to comfort-conscious care that helps keep your teeth, and your mouth healthy! It’s time to stop letting past experiences keep you from the care you need, and we’re here to make sure you’re extremely well taken care of.
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At Beautiful Smiles Family Dental Center in Etters, Pennsylvania, Dr. Graver and Dr. Koop offer many techniques to keep your child’s smile beautiful! We are always concerned about your comfort. Please call us if you have any questions about how our services may benefit you or someone you know.
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