It is the time for new year’s resolutions as we start this brand new year. This year why not aim for the achievable goal of looking after your oral hygiene and investing in your smile. We tend to take our oral health for granted till something happens and then regret not taking more care. Not only for the aesthetic purposes but oral and dental health have an impact on our overall health. Add these simple steps to your dental habits new year resolutions and enhance your oral health, your future self will be grateful as you achieve those perfect healthy teeth. The beginning of the year is the perfect time to up date your oral care routines.
Importance of following good dental hygiene
Caring for your gums and teeth is not stressful or complicated but many assume it to be troublesome. At any given time your mouth can contain a multitude of microorganisms and bacteria, which if not sorted by good oral care routines can cause complications while affecting other aspects of our health as well. Your mouth is the gateway to the internal parts of your body as well as being a vantage point from which to detect early symptoms of systemic diseases. Systemic diseases such as diabetes show early signs in the mouth as lesions or other dental issues like infections.
The main purpose of maintaining good oral hygiene habits is to prevent the build up of plaque that can cause tooth decay, gum disease and tooth loss. Studies have shown that maintaining optimal oral health is important to your overall health and wellbeing because untreated oral diseases can increase the risk of developing other harmful health conditions.
To avoid this all you have to do is incorporate these easy habits as a simple way to improve your dental health and enjoy your healthy teeth and gums.
- Follow proper brushing process
The simple formula is to ensure that you brush your teeth twice day, morning and night, for 2 minutes at a time. Yes there is a proper technique to how you hold your brush for effective brushing but is simple to adapt to and once you do it will become automatic. Also be sure you are using the correct toothbrush types to thoroughly clean the plaque and food debris. Use fluoridated toothpaste to strengthen your tooth enamel for effective protection against tooth decay and plaque build-up.
- Don’t skip flossing
Honestly how many of us become lazy or are in too much of a hurry and skip the flossing process? Flossing every day once a day is important because it truly cleans between your teeth removing sticky films and food particles, which helps towards preventing cavities and gum disease. Flossing helps you clean areas such as the back teeth, where your tooth brush might not be able to quite reach. It further helps reduce the puffiness, soreness and redness of the gums which in turn can help prevent gingivitis. Brushing and flossing go hand in hand, and you should make it a habit to do both without assuming you can skip one. If it makes it easier to remember, try flossing first and then remove dislodged particles when you brush your teeth.
- Don’t avoid cleaning your tongue
Despite playing such a critical role in our lives by working as a digestive organ that helps the movement of food when chewing and swallowing, the tongue is often neglected during our oral hygiene routines. It helps us with our taste and speech and is vital for our good health and yet we do not pay it the attention it deserves. Make this the year you make the difference by adding cleaning your tongue to your oral hygiene routine. Cleaning your tongue will help remove bacteria and food debris that can cause bad breath. It also reduces the risk of plaque forming which we know is a good for our dental health.
Further it is the first line of defence for your immune system as a clean tongue boosts immunity as it reduces negative toxins from entering your body. It also enhances your sense of taste.
You can either use a tongue scrapper or if pressed for time use your toothbrush though it may be slightly less effective.
- Follow a healthy diet
A healthy diet improves your oral health, there is no denying the connection. This is one we all know at the back of our minds, that sticky sweets and sugary drinks increase the risk of plaque build up and thereby tooth decay. Certain foods such as red wines, coffee, tea can stain your teeth as well and should be consumed in moderation or you should aim to drink water and rinse your mouth out straight afterwards.
You can enjoy a varied diet including cheese, milk, leafy greens, celery carrots and other such crunchy veggies that are all good for your teeth and tasty. You can have meats and fatty fish along with fruits such as apples, pears, kiwis and strawberries that are all beneficial. Don’t forget to also include plenty of nuts as well.
- Stay hydrated
Staying hydrated is one of the best things you can do for yourself. It not only helps maintain good oral health and the functioning of internal organs, but it can also help you lose weight if that is a goal you are aspiring to. If not, hydration is simply an effective way to keep your body in top condition. When your mouth is dry is lessens the saliva in your mouth which then limits its ability to remove plaque and bacteria. Drinking water helps keep your mouth cleaner as it washes away residue and food particles so that it reduces bacteria that cause cavities.
- Quit bad habits that affect your dental health
This is another habit that we all know we should incorporate, so let this be the year that you finally completely quit or at least significantly reduce bad habits that affect your dental health. Excessive drinking of alcohol, smoking and over indulging in sweets are all bad habits that have an adverse impact on our oral health.
- Don’t miss your dental appointments
Even if you feel as though your teeth are fine and that nothing is wrong do not skip on dental appointments. Make it a part of your new year’s resolutions this year to visit the dentist twice a year if you maintain good oral health or as recommended by the dentist if you need further treatments. Dental cleaning thoroughly clean your teeth to an extent that normal brushing and flossing cannot always do and keep your teeth in top condition.
- Invest in your smile
Basically make this the year you invest in your smile. Along with taking steps to improve your oral hygiene look into treatments that further enhance your smile such as whitening or straightening treatments or restoring damaged teeth.
Conclusion
Follow these simple yet effective dental hygiene habits to up your dental hygiene routine and experience the joy of wellbeing and the confidence you regain with a beautiful healthy smile.
