Many people make New Year’s resolutions that are oriented around improving their health. However, it is important to note that your oral health is an important component of your overall health. When you take the necessary actions to improve your smile, you will often see many benefits to the health of your teeth. At Mills River Family Dental, we offer superior dental services to aid in the condition of your smile. Here are some of the best New Year’s resolutions to improve your smile.
Be Consistent with your Oral Health Routine
Consistency is absolutely critical in maintaining a healthy smile. When you are inconsistent and skip caring for your teeth, you provide bacteria and food particles with the time to accumulate and cause damage to your smile. Staying consistent often helps to keep your teeth and smile healthier throughout the year. It is also important to avoid some of the more common oral hygiene mistakes that can impact your oral health, such as brushing your teeth within 30 minutes of eating. This is a mistake, because recently eating food tends to trigger an acid attack to your teeth. This softens the enamel layer, which can allow brushing of the teeth to cause damage to the enamel. Waiting for 30 minutes after eating can help to prevent damage.
Visit your Dentist for Regular Cleanings
Regular dental cleanings are an incredibly important way that you can improve your smile throughout the year. Most professionals recommend that you visit your dentist twice each year to provide maximum protection to your smile. When you visit your dentist for regular cleanings and examinations, you can have harmful particles thoroughly removed from your mouth. In fact, dental cleanings are often the only way that you can remove tartar from the surface of your teeth.
Increase the Fruits and Vegetables you Eat
The diet that you follow will have a huge impact on the health of your teeth. For this reason, you should strive to add more fruits and vegetables to your diet over the coming year. This simple step will ensure that you eat foods that are higher in nutrients and vitamins, as well as have a higher water content.
Cut Back your Sugar Intake
There is a direct correlation between sugar consumption and tooth decay. When you strive to reduce your sugar consumption, you can generally keep your teeth in much better condition. In most cases, it can be helpful to reduce your sugar intake a little at a time. Sugar is generally extremely addictive, which can make it complicated to quit cold turkey. Breaking the task down into smaller steps is often most effective at providing long-term results.
Replace your Toothbrush
There are few tips for improving your oral health that is as simple as replacing your toothbrush, but it is also a step that is frequently overlooked. When you ensure that you replace your toothbrush as often as necessary, you will often be able to ensure that it continues to effectively remove food particles from your teeth. In general, you should replace the toothbrush whenever it begins to show signs of wear. Many toothbrushes are colored specifically so you know to replace your toothbrush when the color fades. It is also often necessary to replace the toothbrush every 3 to 4 months. Purchasing enough toothbrushes at the beginning of the year can help to make it even easier to regularly replace your toothbrush.
Floss Often
When food particles are allowed to accumulate beneath the surface of your gums, they can lead to the development of gum disease and can cause many additional problems. Tooth decay may also result after food particles become trapped between the teeth. By implementing regular flossing to your normal dental routine, you can help to remove these particles and improve the health of your teeth. It is essential to ensure that you floss regularly in order to minimize the overall amount of damage to your smile.
Our team at Mills River Family Dental is passionate about helping you improve your smile and keep your teeth in the best possible condition. When you work with our professionals, you can be confident that you have obtained the right services to protect the health of your teeth. To learn more about the importance of dental services and how to improve your smile throughout the upcoming year, contact us at Mills River Family Dental today!