The quality of your teeth makes a massive impact on the quality of your life, often in ways you may not even realize. Taking better care of your teeth will make a massive impact on the way you talk, eat, and smile.
Now that the new year is here, it’s a good time to reevaluate your oral health. Here are a few new years resolutions that could potentially make a strong positive impact on your smile.
Floss
Flossing is one of the most important things that you can do for your oral health; there’s no better way to break up the plaque deposits that form between the teeth. Unfortunately, however, it’s also one of the most commonly neglected aspects of oral hygiene.
If you’ve long struggled with keeping up a flossing habit, the new year is a great time to give it another shot. Take your floss with you when you travel, and set reminders for yourself to help you make a change.
Cut Out Snacking
A good diet isn’t just about what you eat; how often, and how much you’re eating are equally important. Your teeth can clean themselves fairly well using saliva, which breaks down food particles and neutralizes the mouth’s pH. It typically takes 30 minutes after eating to return your mouth’s pH to normal, which is essential to preventing tooth decay.
If you find yourself snacking often, your mouth may not have enough time to clean itself properly after you eat. By eating large meals and cutting out snacking, you could seriously reduce your chances of tooth decay.
Quit Smoking
This probably comes as no surprise to you, but smoking is absolutely terrible for your oral health. The problems don’t stop at just bad breath or stained teeth, or even oral cancer.
Cigarette smoke can seep below the gumline and attach itself to your teeth’s roots. Over time, this can lead them to become so weak that the tooth falls out.
Committing to each of these habits will require a little bit of getting used to, but if you can stick with these resolutions, you’ll find that your oral health will have improved drastically by this time next year.
About Our Practice
For a lot of people, visiting the dentist is really stress-inducing. At LIC Dental Associates, we’re proud to say that our patients feel calm and comfortable from the moment they step into our office. That’s because we care about our patients’ mental health just as much as their oral health, and work hard to care for both.
If you have any questions about how to take care of your oral health in the new year, we can be reached at our website or by phone at (718) 280-3286.