It’s that time of year again—time to make goals for all that you want to accomplish this year. What do you want to achieve? Like many others, do you want to improve your health? Well, if you do, don’t forget your mouth. Your oral health affects your overall wellbeing. In fact, oral issues have been linked to medical conditions like heart disease, diabetes, and kidney disease. By making a resolution to improve your oral health, you also strive to improve your health generally. Here are three great ideas from your dentist in Dublin to help you do just that this year.
Floss Daily
It seems like such a small thing, but flossing is actually very important for your oral health. Brushing removes a lot of plaque from your teeth, but your toothbrush can’t reach the spaces in between. The bacteria in plaque create acids that irritate gums and attack teeth. If the plaque is allowed to stay in these hard-to-reach places, it can lead to gum disease or cavities. Flossing daily helps to prevent these conditions from happening and keep your mouth much cleaner.
Consume Less Sugar
Sugar doesn’t just add pounds to the scale; it can also affect your oral health. The cavity-causing bacteria in your mouth thrive on sugar. Do you realize how much sugar is in soda or an energy drink? A cola soda contains 39 grams of sugar, and an energy drink can have anywhere between 24 and 29 grams of sugar. By cutting back on your sugar consumption, your teeth and gums will be better protected.
Visit the Dentist Regularly
If you brush and even floss every day, you may think that you don’t need to see the dentist every six months. But it’s not true. Even with diligent oral hygiene, plaque can build up. Over time it hardens and becomes much more difficult to remove. The harmful bacteria then have easier access your teeth and can cause serious damage to your smile. In your routine cleaning, the hygienist uses professional tools and skills to address this buildup and prevents tooth decay or gum disease. If you don’t visit the dentist every six months, you are more likely to experience these issues.
Your six-month appointment is about more than just a cleaning. Your dentist also performs an oral exam, where they visually check your teeth, tongue, gums, mouth, and throat for any indication of more serious conditions, like gum disease or oral cancer. If caught early, these diseases can be much easier to treat. If you wait until you recognize a dental problem to visit the dentist, it may already have progressed to an advanced stage and caused irreversible damage. Identifying and treating these conditions early is key to overcoming them.
As you implement these actions into your life, you and your dentist in Dublin will notice a difference in your oral health and your overall wellbeing. Make this the year that you change for the better by setting a resolution that matters. For more information about preventive dental care and improving your oral health, contact your dentist.
About the Author
At Distinctive Smiles of Dublin, there are two dentists who serve patients in the Dublin, Hilliard, Powell, Plain City, Marysville, and Columbus areas. Trained in using the most advanced dentistry techniques, Dr. Eric Buck and Dr. Hannah Burton can help whether you’re coming in for a routine checkup or you need dental implants. You can contact them by calling (614) 792-1800 or clicking here.