2018 has finally arrived and with the changing of the calendar, it’s brought something else along with it. That’s right – New Year’s resolutions! We’re sure that plenty of you have made many different resolutions already (and hopefully haven’t broken any of them yet!). Well, as your Chapel Hill, NC orthodontist and pediatric dentist, we at Clifton & Mauney Orthodontics & Pediatric Dentistry would like to suggest dedicating one (or more!) of these New Year’s resolutions toward your dental health. We’ve provided you with five great resolutions that will lead you to have a healthier mouth in 2018.
Stop Smoking
The first resolution we have for you isn’t just about helping your dental health – it’ll help your overall health as well! One of the best things that you can do for your dental health (and your overall health!) is to stop smoking. Smoking can cause a variety of oral and bodily health problems, from lung disease to the yellowing of your teeth. For your sake, you’ll want to quit it as soon as possible. And if you already don’t smoke…well…we still have four more great dental resolutions that you can make!
Maintain a Great Oral Hygiene Regimen
This should be another no-brainer! Well…hopefully, at least! The most important thing that you can do for your dental health is to have a great oral hygiene regimen. To start, you should brush twice per day (four times if you’re wearing braces) with a soft-bristled toothbrush and fluoride toothpaste. Make sure to floss daily as well in order to clean the areas of your mouth that are hard to reach with your toothbrush.
Visit the Dentist Every Six Months
Not only should you maintain a great daily oral hygiene regimen, but you should remember to schedule an appointment with your dentist once every six months. Your dentist will check to make sure that you don’t have any serious, underlying dental problems and you’ll even get a professional teeth cleaning to make your teeth look extra nice. It’s a win-win!
Limit Any Soda Drinking
One of the biggest contributors toward tooth decay is actually soda. Soda (and other sugary drinks like sweet tea, energy drinks, and sports drinks) has plenty of sugar in it that can cause bacteria in the mouth to produce acid and eat away at the tooth enamel. Even worse, soda is very acidic, meaning that you’ll get a double-dose of acid on your teeth! Try to avoid drinking soda and if you do have some, use a straw as it’ll cause the liquid to bypass your teeth.
Smile!
This one should be easy! Now that you’ve taken steps toward giving yourself a healthier smile, there’s no reason not to show it off as often as you can. Go on and smile more often – you’ll absolutely feel better for it!
Visit Your Chapel Hill, NC Orthodontist!
We hope your New Year’s resolutions go better than ours! In the meantime, if you’re interested in scheduling an appointment with your providers of Chapel Hill, NC pediatric dentistry and orthodontics, feel free to either give us a call at (919) 933-1007 or fill out our appointment request form. We’re looking forward to seeing you and we hope you have a wonderful 2018!
