5 New Year’s Resolutions to Improve Oral Health

Your mouths oral health contributes heavily to the overall wellness of your body. A fresh new year is one of the best times to formulate new habits. For some people it might look like improving the way someone brushes their teeth, and for others this may look at finally finishing up an Invisalign or Braces treatment.  By setting up a New Years Dental appointment with Pleasant St Dental, you’re already on the right track to improving your oral health. Improving new habits starts with us.

In the meantime, there are certain steps that you can take on your own time to improve your oral health.

1. Annual Dental Cleanings
   If you’re starting to notice a buildup of plaque or tartar, it may be time to consider a dental cleaning. Most people typically will notice a buildup around their bottom front teeth. If you haven’t seen a dentist in at least half a year, you probably should’ve come in to see us last week. Plaque and tartar can cause gum disease, as well as make your breath really stink. If you let all of the bacteria and plaque sit and stay in your mouth, it can cause other problems down the line once your gum disease is left untreated. This can actually make you extremely sick.
2. Steering Clear of Gum Disease
   On the previous topic of gum disease, when you get into the habit of flossing every day, the benefits can go a very long way. Flossing removes unnecessary particles of food debris from your mouth that can sit in the crevices and essentially rot away. Flossing at least once every day is a great way to start, but if you can do it more than once- more power to you. The American Dental Association also recommends replacing your toothbrushes every 3-4 months out of the year, and you should also brush with fluoride toothpaste. Ask your Dentist which fluoride toothpaste is right for you.
3. Stop tobacco use
   Not only does tobacco stain your teeth, but it also counteracts all the good habits that we’re trying to build up for our oral health. Cigarette smoking, and even smokeless chewing tobacco are two huge downfalls to society when it comes to our oral health. It stains your teeth, weakens your enamel, creates holes in our gums and causes our gum lines to even recede. The average smoker is three to six times more likely to end up with some form of gum disease or even worse, periodontal disease, in their lifetime. Gum disease and periodontal disease can attack your tooth’s roots, which is what physically holds your teeth inside of your mouth. If these roots aren’t strong and healthy enough, you could be at risk for losing your teeth. Smokeless tobacco or chewing tobacco can cause your tooth enamel to soften, and your gums to pull away from your teeth. This gives germs and bacteria ample opportunity to wiggle their way into your mouth, create a home and develop tooth decay.  
4. Treat your stress
   Putting stress on your oral cavity can be excruciatingly painful, and it also gives you horrible jaw issues as you age. Many people do this thing called “teeth grinding” which is the force of rubbing your upper teeth against your bottom teeth. Most will do this activity as a result of anxiety, stress, sometimes even in their sleep which can cause sleep apnea or other sleeping disorders. To improve teeth grinding at night, you could get a night time mouth guard or splint from your dental office to protect your teeth, learn jaw massaging techniques to relax your jaw before bed time, be more conscious of what you put in your mouth and only chew food (not your nails, not your straws, not your sweatshirt strings…gross)
5. Take Care of What You Already Have!
   The new age of customized aligners are slowly taking our generations by storm. Braces and Invisalign are two great ways to restore your teeth, however your time outside of the office and how you care for your teeth is critical to their improvement. Especially, when you only need to come in every few months. Starting off a new year also means it’s a great time to finish any work you may have started in the previous year. Veneers, dental implants, crown or fillings can help take care of the current structure of your teeth, and ensure that they last a lifetime.

We can’t wait to serve you, and your loved ones in this New Year. Call today to set up your appointment with Pleasant Street Dental so that we can start these healthy new habits, together.