When a new year comes around, we tend to make declarations and resolutions. We do this to improve various things about our lifestyles, to reach our goals, and to ultimately become better versions of ourselves. New Year’s resolutions often include losing weight, starting a new business, learning more, and many other positive, life-affirming activities. Unfortunately, oral hygiene often takes a back seat to other more attractive resolutions like visiting a foreign country, for example. But today, we encourage you to include oral hygiene in your quest to improve your life! It will be a huge benefit in the present and in the future. Here are three things you can do to improve your oral hygiene in 2020.oral hygiene
Upgrade your toothbrush.
We don’t recommend going out and buying the most expensive toothbrush you can find. But studies have shown that an oscillating sonic toothbrush can reach areas that a regular toothbrush can not. These types of toothbrushes are specifically designed to push saliva and toothpaste around in your mouth giving much needed attention to those harder to reach places. Even though an electric toothbrush is much more expensive than a manual one, you’ll get a much better return on your investment in the form of healthier gums and whiter looking teeth.oral hygiene
More water.
Eating is vital to survival. Food is a fundamental need in order to stay alive as humans. Our bodies naturally digest the foods we eat while distributing nutrients derived from food appropriately. What people don’t realize is that our teeth play a huge role in digestion and our mouth is the gateway.
Unfortunately, a lot of sugar is found in many of the foods we eat which causes adverse effects on our overall health, including oral health. That’s where water comes in. Water can help minimize the damaging effects of sugar by rinsing sugar molecules away from the enamel of your teeth before it has a chance to cause tooth erosion. Additionally, replacing sugary beverages with water instead, can improve digestive functions immensely helping you to lose weight, speed up your metabolism, moisturize your skin, and more. Water has so many health benefits!
Make small diet changes.
In addition to adding more water to your diet, there are other small changes you can make to improve oral health. Eating a healthy diet which includes vegetables, grains, chicken and fish, can reduce risk of cavities and gum disease. In fact, eating certain foods such as apples, carrots, and seeds can help you keep that smile white and bright for years to come. This might seem to contradict logic, but stay away from sugar-free foods as well!
According to the Wisconsin Dental Association, even though these foods and drinks don’t contain actual sugar, the sugar substitutes used instead are still harmful to your teeth and the ecosystem of your body overall. However, eating organic, whole foods and maintaining a balanced diet will have long-lasting health benefits.
As a bonus, we recommend setting up your bi-annual dental appointment now, if you haven’t already. This will remind you to keep your oral hygiene or teeth-cleaning appointments for the year. Partnering with your dentist and making small changes to your daily routines as mentioned in this article will improve your dental health greatly over time. The trick is to keep these healthy habits up throughout the year! Keep brushing twice a day, make health a priority, and you’ll set yourself and your family up for a lifetime of beautiful smiles.