Healthy Habits for a Healthier New Year!

So we are now just a few days into a new year. How are you doing? Did you make new year’s resolutions this year? How are they going? Do people even make new years resolutions anymore? I suppose this year, we probably all just had a simple resolution of having a better year than last year. 🙂

And guess what…you CAN have a better year than last year. Of course, as a periodontal office, we can’t fix everything for you, but we can give some advice that will actually make a difference in your overall health and well-being.

One of the most important things to keep in mind is that SMALL CHANGES OVER TIME MAKE A BIG IMPACT.

We know people say things like this all the time, but its true. This is how babies grow into adults, right? Tiny cell upon tiny cell until 8 lbs of newborn cuteness becomes full grown. This is how canyons are formed. This is how recruits become Marines. This is how mountains are climbed. This is how a high school kid eventually becomes a trusted periodontist…every day, making the small choices, the small changes, because you know it’s taking you somewhere better.

But I know what the hesitation is: you think to yourself “Yeah, right. They say ‘small changes’ but they’re really way more invasive, way more inconvenient, way more expensive, and way more difficult than anyone ever lets on.” Sometimes that is true, we agree. Getting a gym membership with a personal trainer and committing to 6 months of the KETO diet with a paid mean-planning service is not what we have in mind though. We really are talking about small changes. Small habits. Small amounts of time. Small commitments.

And guess what? These changes can save you money, save you time and save your health in the long run! Really and truly.

So let’s talk about what these changes are. What can you do to start building healthy habits for your dental and oral health this year? It’s really easier than you might think and really only takes about 5 extra minutes every day. So if you have 5 extra minutes a day and you’re interested in saving money, time and improving your oral health, READ ON…

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3 SMALL, SIMPLE HABITS TO IMPROVE YOUR ORAL HEALTH

DRINK MORE WATER.

Huh? Really? Yes, really. Did you know that drinking water is about so much more than staying hydrated? Technically you can stay hydrated with fluids other than just water, but there are additional benefits to drinking more water as opposed to other sources of healthy hydration (like natural juices and sports drinks). Water keeps your mouth moist to lower harmful bacteria that can lead to bad breath, cavities, and gum disease. Drinking water also helps keep your mouth clean in between your oral cleaning routines like brushing and flossing. 

So how do you add more water to your daily intake? Keep a glass next to your kitchen sink and plan to drink a full glass every time you wash your dishes. Fill a thermos and keep it in your car or at your office desk. Drink a full glass of water with every meal.

FLOSS DAILY.

Did you know that when you brush your teeth, you are only cleaning about 60% of the surface of your teeth? So imagine with me for a second…how absurd is it to properly clean just over half of your teeth? What if you only brushed your top teeth and completely ignored your bottom teeth? What if you only vacuumed half your rug or mopped half your kitchen floor? Ha! What a ridiculous thought. Can you imagine the sticky, filthy mess that would eventually accumulate? But that’s exactly what we do when we choose not to floss. We’re neglecting 40% of the surface of our teeth! And we are allowing filthy, sticky residue to build up and begin to damage our teeth and gums.

And yes, I get it. Flossing seems like a hassle to some. So if you’re still not convinced and flossing seems like a chore that’s just not worth it…we recommend that you come visit our hygienists because we would love to show you how quickly and easily you can floss all your teeth in order to ensure that you are cleaning 100% of the surface of your teeth. Also, just take a look at this basic illustration below that shows how to floss. If you spend 60 seconds in the morning and 60 seconds in the evening flossing your teeth (though it doesn’t even need to take that long), you will have made a small change with a BIG impact!

ADD MOUTHWASH TO YOUR ROUTINE.

So here’s the thing…mouthwash does more than just give you fresh breath. Chewing gum can do that. Mouthwash actually aids in your cleansing routine by stopping odor-causing bacteria. So all you have to do is take a quick swig, swish and spit. It’s as easy as that! Goodbye, bacteria. Hello, healthy mouth!

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So do you know how long these things will take if you add them to your daily routine? Go ahead. Guess. I mean, we pretty much already gave you the total time commitment we’re talking about here…probably 3 minutes. THAT’S IT.

3 MINUTES!!

Three minutes a day can make a substantial impact on your oral health, your wallet and your health!

“Well, wait a minute…”, you say. “I get how this doesn’t take much time and how it impacts my oral health. So I guess I’m on board with those things. But how can these simple oral health habits make an impact on my budget?”

Just consider the cost of tooth replacement surgery. Or a root canal. Or the time and financial investment of regular teeth whitening procedures, gum surgery, or any other oral procedure that becomes necessary due to neglecting basic oral healthcare routines. Of course, there are many different factors that affect your oral health, such as hereditary traits, smoking or tobacco use, eating habits, and so on. So we are not saying that flossing, drinking more water and using mouthwash will fix THOSE issues, but we are saying that by practicing proper oral hygiene and good habits on a daily basis, you are REDUCING YOUR RISK of serious complications in the future. And complications mean costlier procedures that possibly could have been avoided through a few simple but strategic changes.

Is it worth it? Absolutely.

If you are ready to start this year off on the right foot with small, healthy habits that make an impact, then get started today! Don’t wait. And you should call Dr. Orth’s office at 972-991-9891 to schedule your first periodontal cleaning and visit of 2021. If there is one thing that 2020 has taught us, it is that we should never take our health for granted. Take your health seriously and take the time to protect your oral and dental health with the exceptional periodontal and dental implant care provided by Dallas periodontist, Dr. Charles Orth, and his team. We’ll see you soon!

And happy new year!