Make New Year's Resolutions for Your Teeth

A new year is quickly approaching, so if you are like most people, you may have already started to think about making your New Year's resolutions. It is common for people to resolve to quit bad habits, save more money or start exercising. Those are all great, but what about promising to take better care of your teeth? It is easy to take your teeth for granted, but they actually play a major role in your overall health and they have a direct effect on a number of body systems. Making a New Year's resolution to keep your teeth healthy will go a long way towards keeping you healthy and giving you a healthier, brighter smile throughout 2018.

Eat Fruits and Vegetables

Making a New Year's resolution to eat healthy is one of the most important things you can do for your dental health. Poor nutrition can affect your immune system and increase the risk to a variety of oral disorders, including gum disease. The natural antioxidants and nutrients found in fruits and vegetables help improve your body's ability to fight inflammation and bacteria as well as provide protection for your teeth and gums.

Quit Tobacco Products

Making the decision to quit using tobacco products is one of the most common New Year's resolutions. The use of tobacco can cause oral cancer, throat cancer, tooth discoloration and gum disease. In fact, people who smoke or chew tobacco are twice as likely to lose their teeth as those who don't. The good news is your risk of tooth loss significantly decreases after you quit using smokeless tobacco and your dentist can remove the discoloration to give you a brighter smile.

Keep Brushing and Flossing

One of the most important things you can do to protect your teeth from gum disease and tooth decay is to have a solid brushing and flossing routine. For a healthy, bright smile, you should brush your teeth at least twice per day and floss at least once per day. Without proper oral care, you may develop gum disease or experience tooth loss. Plus, not taking care of your teeth and gums can have a significant effect on your overall health, including increasing the risk for heart disease.

One of the most important New Year's resolutions you can make for a healthier smile is to visit your dentist regularly. Routine visits to the dentist can help prevent oral health problems before they start. The start of a new year is also the perfect time to make a resolution regarding the dental services you have been putting off. If you have been living with pain in your teeth and gums or are fed up with hiding your smile because of staining, schedule a dental appointment today and we can help you stick with your New Year's resolution of having a whiter, brighter and healthier smile.

Dental Hygiene Month - Flossing!

For National Hygiene Month, this week we are going to highlight one of the most encouraged hygiene advice by dental hygienists but perhaps the least followed of the hygiene practices: flossing! 

Flossing for Optimal Dental Health

The American Dental Association (ADA) recommends flossing at least once daily for optimal dental health. That is the minimum. The best practice is to floss every time right before brushing teeth.

Who should floss?

With the help of a parent, every child over the age of 2 years old should floss. Everyone else should floss, too. Flossing removes food particles stuck between teeth, but more important, it removes plaque. Plaque develops on the surface of the teeth in places where a toothbrush cannot reach. Removal of plaque is the main reason for flossing.

What is plaque?

Plaque is a substance that sticks to teeth, creating an environment where bacteria love to grow. At first it is soft, but in about two days, it begins to harden. By 10 days, it turns into a very tough substance called tartar. Tartar is difficult to remove and provides the perfect breeding area for bacteria. Tartar is best removed by a professional dental cleaning.

Plaque + Tartar = Gum Disease and More Cavities

Bacteria between the teeth and under the gum line can lead to gingivitis, or gum disease. Bacteria are what cause caries, also known as cavities. When bacteria invade a healthy tooth, they attack the inner, softer part, making a hole (a cavity) in the tooth. Left untreated, the bacteria continue to eat away at the inner part of the tooth all the way down to the root and beyond until the tooth is essentially destroyed. When the root becomes infected, this is very painful.

How to floss?

Pull 18 to 24 inches of dental floss from the floss dispenser. Wrap the ends of the floss around your middle fingers wrapping the majority of the floss on your left hand finger. Hold the floss tightly around each tooth in a C shape; move the floss back and forth in a push-pull motion and up and down against the side of each tooth. Unwrap the floss from your left finger onto your right finger so there is a new, clean area of floss for the next tooth.



When is the best time to floss?

Many people floss three times per day. They will have the best results. Daily flossing is essential. Studies by the ADA show that elementary-school-age children who had a professional flossing — the kind a parent could also do — once each day, at school, had a 40 percent reduction in cavities. This is an amazing difference — close to half of cavities prevented!

Tips:

• Keep some extra floss or floss picks in your purse or at your desk in your office to use after lunch.
• Set an alert on your phone to remind you to floss.
• Pair flossing with another activity. For example, some people brush their teeth in the shower. Put your floss in there too!
• If flossing just seems too hard, get floss picks. They are at almost every grocery store and pharmacy. They are easy to use and handy to keep in your purse or wallet.
• See your progress! Floss regularly for a while and you will be able to see how healthy your gums get. This should be motivation enough to keep up the habit!

If you have any questions, or would like extra advice, give us a call at 281-646-8888 or schedule an appointment with your hygienist!

Happy Flossing!