New Year Dental Health Resolutions
Keeping You Smiling All The Way Through 2019!
New Year is approaching now, which is scary for some, but an opportunity for others. Here at Abbey Road Dental we like to think of it as an opportunity.
New Year resolutions are a fantastic way to grab the opportunity of a brand new year and make certain aspects of your life better in January, and all year round.
Lots of people choose to lose weight, to start a new hobby or even to go travelling or start ticking things off the bucket list. Of course, we support all our patients in making their life better in the way they feel is best and in today’s blog we want to provide some potential New Year resolutions to help with your oral health.
Your smile might not seem like an important enough feature to base any resolutions on. However, if you are in a highly social job or, you need a confidence boost with your love life, or even if you love a good selfie, then your smile is pretty important and there’s every reason you could base some New Year resolutions around it.
Here are Abbey Road Dental’s best New Year resolutions for oral health, to help you enjoy a beautiful smile in January, and all year round:
Eat A Full Range Of Fruits And Vegetables
Yes, excess fruit juice intake can damage the teeth, as can consuming endless acidic fruits. However, consuming lots of fruit and vegetables as part of a balanced diet will not affect your smile negatively, in fact you need to include them to maintain good oral health. Nutrients in fruits and vegetables help to boost your immune system and help you fight inflammation and conditions like gum disease. Crunchy veggies like celery or kale are excellent for naturally cleaning the teeth and fruits like apples and strawberries can naturally whiten the teeth. Lastly, not eating enough fruits and vegetables can contribute to your risk of oral cancer, which is a really, really good reason to include more in your diet. This works well as a resolution because it isn’t about cutting things out, it’s about including more of something in your life, which is much easier sometimes.
Quit Smoking
We know that you know smoking is bad for you, but we have to mention it all the time because we really do care about our patients and we support the long-term decrease in people smoking. It is a phenomenal resolution and one of the hardest things you can do, but with some of the biggest rewards. If you smoke you have a 50% chance of dying from your habit, so by quitting you are literally gifting yourself with a higher chance of living longer. In terms of your oral health, smoking stains teeth, can cause gum recession, gum disease, oral cancers, bad breath, decay – the list goes on. If you can even just think about cutting down and then working towards quitting, you are doing the best for yourself, and that is a lot to smile about. You can find out more about the risks of smoking, and how to quit on the NHS website.
Cut Down On Alcohol
Drinking within the government’s recommendations is usually enough of a restriction to help maintain good oral health. However, if you drink regularly with sugary and acidic drinks like prosecco or fruity cider than that could still be having an adverse affect on your teeth. If you drink excessively, then the issue is much worse because it can cause gum problems and contribute to oral cancer risk. Cutting down your alcohol consumption is a really great New Year resolution, rather than quitting it for a month and then going back to your usual habits.
Get Your Oral Health Regime In Good Shape
Brushing for twice a day for two minutes with the right brush and toothpaste might seem simple, but sometimes we get used to the way we do things and let our standards drop. This is a problem for your oral health as that twice daily regime removes the plaque from your gum-line and teeth, the plaque that turns into hard tartar if left. Tartar and plaque build ups can then irritate the gums and cause the start of gum disease. Cavities can also form and the teeth can degrade. Please see the Abbey Road Dental hygienist to get an assessment of your current oral health regime so you can improve it and take better care of your teeth long term.
See Abbey Road Dental For Regular Appointments
Regular dental visits are so important for your oral health because you get to check everything is as it should be. Any issues are diagnosed and treated early, and that means less discomfort, treatment and associated costs in future. You can also speak to your dentist about any oral health improvements you would like to make, and about any worries you have about your smile. As you only usually have to visit the dentist every six months, you could tick off a New Year resolution with just 1-2 appointments across the whole year! Low hanging fruit if you ask us!
Book A 2019 Appointment With Abbey Road Dental
We really hope your New Year resolutions work out well for you so that 2019 is fantastic in all the ways you hope it will be. We can help with any oral health maintenance or hopes you have, so please do get in touch to book a checkup or consultation. You can reach our friendly team on 02076241603 for more information. We’re excited to help you smile even more in 2019!