Over the holidays, the ECDC team spent a lot of time thinking about their New Year’s Resolutions. From eating better to exercising more, these resolutions have been the talk of the office since we returned earlier this month.
Keeping healthy choices in mind, we thought you might like to consider some dental health resolutions, as your oral health is a very important component of your overall well-being.
These resolutions can be as simple as brushing and flossing properly and with regularity, or getting that treatment which you have been putting off, or simply making a point to visit the dentist at least twice a year. Feeling better about your teeth can be your motivating factor! Here are some suggestions from the team at ECDC:
- Brushing and Flossing regularly is an easy way to start on the road to good dental health. We recommend brushing at least twice a day with a soft toothbrush — an electric toothbrush can often be an excellent investment. We recommend replacing your toothbrush every 3 to 4 months.When brushing, hold your toothbrush at a 45 degree angle tilted towards your gum line. Brushing properly will help you remove all the plaque from your teeth, which can cause decay when ignored. You should also floss at least once a day, because there is plaque that your toothbrush simply isn’t able to remove.
- You’ve probably heard the saying, “You are what you eat.” This also applies very well to our teeth! Stay away from foods that will expose your teeth to acids, which can lead to tooth decay. If you are eating acidic foods, you should remember to brush immediately after your snack. Alternatively, if you don’t have a toothbrush handy, you can chew sugarless gum, which will help to cut down on the bacteria that causes cavities and plaque build up.
- Okay, this is a tough one, we understand. However, you should really consider quitting smoking. Smoking makes you twice as likely to have tooth loss, and also causes many other dental issues, including discoloured teeth, gum loss, bone loss and throat, lung, and oral cancer.
The good news is that during every dental exam, we do an oral health screening. You may not even realize that we are checking, but we always do.
These simple suggestions could be a great way to kick off your New Year’s health resolutions! We suggest you keep simple routines and book regular check-ups, as that will be the best way to keep you and your teeth on track for a healthy 2017!
Wishing you the very best this year,
The Team at ECDC