Resolve to Have Better Dental Health This Year

Nearly one month into the New Year, many of us will have already slipped up on keeping those New Year’s resolutions, so how about making a new one?  How about doing something to improve your dental health this year? This resolution could prove to be relatively easy to keep, and will not only help improve your dental health, but almost certainly your general health as well. It needn’t take much to simply tweak your existing oral health regime into being something a lot better and more effective. It needn’t even cost that much, and could help save you a fortune in the future. Easy ways you can help improve your oral health include:

• Making and keeping that overdue dental appointment. Dental reminders are all too easy to ignore, especially if you’re feeling a bit short of cash or time, or both. However those six monthly checkups really are the best way of helping to keep your teeth and gums in good health, and should help you avoid large dental bills in the future. The advantage of going to the dentist regularly includes having your teeth professionally cleaned, keeping your gums in good condition, but also helping your teeth to appear a little whiter as they’ll be properly polished. Any small signs of decay or disease can be quickly treated, so you’re far less likely to lose any tooth structure.

• If you don’t have a dentist, then make it your mission to find a good one in your area. You can contact the NHS to get details of dentists in your locality, or you may wish to contact private dentists to find out how much they charge. Some may charge a lot less than you think, and it might be easier to go down this route than trying to find an NHS dentist. It’s also worth asking if they run any dental schemes to help spread the cost of dental treatments, or to look into private dental healthcare that covers the cost of basic treatments as you will be far more likely to keep regular dental appointments if you know you’re not in for any nasty surprises.

• Put aside enough time to clean and floss your teeth thoroughly each day. It only really takes a few minutes to do so and will pay huge dividends. Flossing is one of the best ways to help your gums stay healthy, but if you’re unsure of how to do so but ask your dentist for advice as they’ll be more than happy to show you how to do it correctly. Flossing is also a good way of helping your teeth look whiter for longer as you’ll be removing all the plaque that can build up in between the teeth, and which can make them look a little yellow.

• Keep an eye on your diet, and try to cut down on snacking. This is especially bad for dental health as it means your teeth are exposed to acid for longer. If you want to have a snack then tried to something that’s friendlier towards your teeth, such as crunchy vegetables or cheese.

• If you smoke then stick to that resolution to quit, as it really is bad for your teeth and gums. With the money you save you should be able to afford to splurge a little on yourself. You could even put the money towards improving or brightening up your smile if you think it could do with a little bit of work.

About the author

Alison, is a UK born and educated dental professional with over 25 years experience.