As the year quickly wraps up with holiday festivities and a bow on top, now’s the time to start thinking about your New Year’s resolution! For years on end you’ve made resolutions for the year, and maybe you’ve stuck to some if only for a couple of months. However, with most resolutions you never follow through. Let’s change that this year. From us to you, we want one of your New Year’s resolutions to be simple - take care of your teeth! Make this the year you follow through on a resolution by taking better care of your teeth and gums using the following five tips.

Eat Healthier!

Changing your diet may have once been its own New Year’s resolution. However, it’s important to eat healthier for the sake of your teeth.

One of the biggest problems our teeth face daily is sugar. Sugar and plaque work in tandem to erode your teeth, something nobody wants or likes to go through. Fortunately, you control what you eat. It doesn’t take much work from you to look at the Nutritional Facts and steer away from foods with high sugar concentrations. During your next trip to the store, fill up your grocery cart with more orally healthy foods including dairy products and fibrous foods – perfect for promoting salivation and scrubbing away plaque.

Start Flossing!

As part of your New Year’s resolution to take care of your teeth, you’ve got to start flossing! When you visit your dentist and they ask you if you’ve been flossing, it’s hard to trick them that you have been if you really haven’t.

While there are studies circulating stating that flossing isn’t necessary for a healthy mouth, we’re here to tell you this. Brushing only gets 3 out of 5 sides of your teeth, no matter how you look at it. There’s no way the bristles on a toothbrush can clean in between teeth thoroughly. That’s why you may still have gunk or food chunks lodged between your teeth even after you brushed your teeth. Flossing is the only way you’re leaving the bathroom in the morning with a clean, healthy set of teeth.

Flossing isn’t hard either! With the right technique, flossing takes less than a minute, you won’t have bleeding gums and you’ll notice how clean your teeth feel as you start your day.

Stress Less!

Stress, anxiety and sleeping disorders are problems you may face time and time again. Oftentimes stress is the cause of teeth grinding. This can lead to an abnormal bite, sensitive teeth and headaches. Grinding your teeth will flatten their surfaces, making it harder to chew some foods and put extra pressure onto your jaw causing dull headaches.

Avoiding stress altogether would be a dream come true, but alas there’s always something to worry about. The best way to feel less stress and fulfill your New Year’s resolution to take care of your teeth is by breaking down everything, understand what you need to do to accomplish each part, and approach all of it with a clear mind.

Put Out the Cigarette!

Stressing less may be hard to accomplish for your New Year’s resolution, but if you’re a smoker, this may be the hardest one. It’s 2018, it’s time to quit. You can’t ignore the toxic and deadly consequences of nicotine on the body, let alone your teeth. Think about it, smoking causes your teeth to fall out. Smoking changes the color of your gums from pink to yellow and brown. You’re coughing all the time, drying out your mouth and letting plaque destroy what’s left of your teeth. Smoking even inhibits dental restorations such as dental implants from success.

It doesn’t even have to be New Year’s Day, give a gift to yourself by quitting this holiday season. Walk away from any tobacco products, and solicit your friends and family to support your New Year’s resolution to quit. Dr. Torres and the rest of us at Smart Dental Implants are always here for you, and will support your resolution to take care of your teeth by putting out the cigarette.

Visit Your Dentist!

Even if you do not have dental insurance, it’s important that you get a dental checkup with a dentist at least once every 6 months. We know not everyone goes to the dentist like they’re supposed to, according to statistics from the CDC. Only 64% of all people ages 18-64 are going to the dentist annually, and only 63% go once they’re retired.