New Years Resolutions For Your Teeth | Smile With Confidence In 2022

by Willow Tree Dental and Orthodontic Centre on Oral Health and Dental Hygiene.

New Years Resolutions

Let’s kick things off by saying a very Happy New Year to you all and well done for making it through another tough year! With 2021 nicely in the past we can start to think about the New year ahead. Whether you are set on being the same amazing version of yourself you were last year or if you’re going to use this new year as a fresh start and change things up, we can all use a little help when it comes to elevating our oral hygiene regime.

Why not make, taking better care of your teeth your New Years Resolution! By giving your teeth that extra bit of attention this year you will benefit from a brighter, whiter, healthier smile as well as, improve your overall general health.

Links Between General Health & Dental Health.

Did you know that the state of your oral health can have a direct effect on your general health? Gum disease is the most widespread chronic disease, despite the fact that it is highly and easily preventable! Dental bacteria has been linked to a number of general health problems, such as; Heart Disease, Diabetes, Strokes, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Dementia and Sepsis (to name a few). Taking care of your teeth is vital in maintaining good general health.

Floss More!

We know it seems like a faff, and most people consider it an optional extra, but did you know you are supposed to floss every day? Making this small change to your oral hygiene regime will reduce the risk of gum disease, give you cleaner teeth and fresher breath! There are a number of products available that make the task of flossing every day easier and less time consuming.

• Interdental brushes – are a great tool to help clean between your teeth. The small bristled head is designed to clean between your teeth and come in different widths to suit the sizes of the gaps in your teeth. Seek advice from your Dentist or Hygienist if you have trouble using an interdental brush. They will love you for asking!
• Floss picks – are easier to manoeuvre than traditional floss and can help you floss hard-to-reach teeth in the back of your mouth. They are especially useful for people who struggle to fit their fingers in and around your mouth while flossing.
• Traditional Floss – there are a variety of different types of floss, from waxed to unwaxed and Teflon or taped. Everyone is different and what works for one does not mean it will work for you. Try them all, find a floss to suit you!
• Water Flossers – are a revolutionary tool which enables you to give your teeth an extensive clean at home. They use water and pressure to remove plaque and food from in between teeth. Water flossers can be extremely useful if you have trouble using regular floss or if you have braces to clean between the brackets and wires.

Stop Smoking!

This one is a fairly traditional New Years Resolution, as dentists will never not encourage people to stop smoking! The damage it causes to both your general and dental health is undeniable. Smoking increases your risk of gum disease, tooth loss and Oral cancer. Smokers are six times more likely than non-smokers to develop oral cancers.

Visit Your Dentist Regularly

As New Years Resolutions go, promising to visit your Dentist twice is a pretty doable task. When did you last visit your dentist? Do you only tend to visit when you have a problem? Regular dental check ups are key to preventing those problems from occurring, they allow your dentist to check for anything underlying that you may not have noticed and treat it quickly and effectively.

Don’t put it off any longer book your Dental Check Up today!

If you suffer from dental anxiety, we understand, at Willow Tree Dental Centre we are dedicated to making all of our patients as comfortable as possible. Let us know that you have a fear of the dentist (we won’t take it personally) we will do all that we can to accommodate your needs and take care of your teeth in a kind and caring environment.

Read: Fear Of The Dentist | 6 Tips To Ease Your Fears

Make Smart Diet Choices.

It goes without saying that the foods we eat have a direct effect on our teeth, but it is sometimes considered an afterthought. By making smart choices with the food and drinks you consume you can prevent a number of issues.

• Acidic Food & Drinks – Food and drinks that are high in acid, fizzy drinks, lemon juice and citric fruits, for example, can cause the enamel to wear away on your teeth which causes them to become discoloured. In addition, when tooth enamel weakens, demineralisation starts to occur which leaves your teeth’s dentin exposed and prone to sensitivity.
• Staining Food & Drinks – If you want to keep your smile looking bright and white you need to cut back on those foods and drinks that cause staining. You know the ones, coffee, tea, red wine, berries etc. Try using a straw to drink teeth staining drinks (when you can we know drinking red wine through a straw isn’t a great look). Teeth Whitening can of course help to fix this problem, but the results will not last long if you continue to regularly stain your teeth.
• Stop Snacking – Cutting down on snacking will protect your teeth and your waistline if that’s what you want. Snacking between meals gives oral bacteria additional food that they can then turn into acid which will attack your teeth.
• Cut Back On Sugary Drinks – We all know that sugar is bad for our teeth, but drinking sugary drinks is a fast and effective way of coating your teeth in sugar! Leaving the bacteria in your mouth to turn all of that sugar into acid which will damage your teeth.
• Drink More Water – The champion of health advice. The benefits to your general and dental health are seemingly never ending. With regards to your eating habits, drinking water after food and other drinks will help to wash away the bad bits left behind in your mouth. And as for staying hydrated, there are also benefits to your oral health. When your mouth dries out, it means that there isn’t enough saliva to wash away the bacteria in your mouth and on your teeth. This increases the risk of cavities. Drink More Water, Always!

Brush Your Teeth Properly!

While brushing your teeth isn’t considered a difficult task, many people make common brushing mistakes. Perhaps you’re in a rush or you are too tired to fit in brushing before bed. Maybe you thought you’d been acing your teeth brushing technique but your oral health says different?

• Brush For A Full 2 Minutes – use a timer or electric toothbrush with a built-in timer.
• Clean Every Tooth – every tooth has a front, back, top and two sides; every tooth and every part of the tooth needs brushing. This is where flossing comes in, as reaching between your teeth with a toothbrush is impossible!
• Brush Your Tongue – it’s not nice but it’s necessary. You need to remove germs and food debris that collect around the tongue in the same way as they do around teeth.
• Change Your Toothbrush – you should change your toothbrush every 3 months or before if you have been ill or your toothbrush becomes discoloured or misshaped. Always rinse your toothbrush with warm water after use.
• Don’t Over Brush – it is important to brush our teeth thoroughly, but excessive brushing can cause more harm than good. Overbrushing can cause erosion to the enamel of our teeth and will aggravate our gums, leading to issues like bleeding and even gum recession. 
• Use An Electric Toothbrush – Electric toothbrushes help clean your teeth significantly better than manual ones.  

Get Treatment

If you are unhappy with the overall aesthetics of your smile or you have issues with your bite there are a number of options available to you. We have witnessed first hand the effect a new smile can have on your overall confidence, and we love helping our patients to create the smiles of their dreams. Whether you are interested in Teeth Whitening, Cosmetic Dentistry, Orthodontics, Invisalign or Periodontics Treatment we can help. And with a number of finance options available, it may be more affordable than you thought. Contact us today and transform your smile in 2022!