If you’re like many people, you might have noticed yourself putting your oral health on the back burner. Life is busy, and it can be easy to let little things like brushing and flossing fall by the wayside.
However, while you might not necessarily think about it that often, your oral health isn’t one of the “little things.” Your teeth and gums play an important role in just about every aspect of your life. Now that the new year is upon us, you might consider making a resolution to take better care of your teeth. Here are a few things that you can try.
Flossing
Flossing is simple and easy but often goes underappreciated. That’s a shame because it’s one of the most important things that you can do to facilitate your oral health. There are certain plaque deposits—especially between your teeth—that brushing simply can’t reach, no matter how much you try.
Left unchecked, those plaque deposits can start to contribute to gum disease and poor oral health. By flossing, you break up those plaque deposits before they can develop.
Cut Sugar
If you were thinking about going on a diet in the new year, that could seriously benefit your oral health as well. There are a lot of diets that solve many different problems, but one of the things they have in common is that most of them will ask you to cut out sugar.
Sugar is very adept at feeding bacteria in the mouth, and that bacteria is what causes gum disease and tooth decay. By cutting back on it you not only lose weight and stabilize your energy, but you also stand a fair chance of bettering your oral health.
See Your Dentist
Not everyone is the biggest fan of the dentist; maybe you’ve had a bad experience in the past, or you just feel like you don’t have the time to get to an appointment. However, no matter how diligent you are with your daily routine, you aren’t going to be able to clean in certain places. Your dentist will be able to reach places you normally can’t and check you for serious oral health problems. January means that your teeth are still recovering from the holidays, so scheduling a dental checkup is a good idea.
Like with any new habit, sticking to a new year’s resolution is never easy. However, if you can remain committed to these things, then by this time next year you’ll see the results of your hard work.
About Our Practice
At St. Albans Dental, we’ll provide you with whatever treatment you need at a level that you aren’t going to find anywhere else. Dr. Aten, Dr. Kellidar, Dr. Cone, and everyone else on our dental team are united by one goal: bringing you and your family to immaculate oral health. We’ll take the time to get to know you one-on-one and develop a treatment plan tailored specifically to you.
If you have any questions about taking care of your oral health in the new year, we can be reached at our website or by phone at (802) 524-4844.