New Year Dental Resolutions

The New Year is traditionally a good time to make life changes. Why not aim for healthier teeth and gums too?

Most of you are probably at that pre Christmas stage where a lot of things are put on the backburner. The priority right now is to complete any workload before the big day and make sure that you have presents bought and enough food and drink stocked to make it a celebration to remember.

Now is generally not the best time to make huge life changes, but that changes considerably when New Year arrives.

Whether people actually make new year resolutions or not these days, most of us would probably accept that we use January 1st (or 2nd if we have celebrated a little too hard the night before!) to take stock and make a few changes in our lives. Traditionally these have been things like giving up smoking or drinking less, but it is also a good opportunity to look at how much care and attention you pay to your teeth and gums.

To help you with this, the team at the Clocktower Dental, Implant & Facial Centre have a few suggestions to help you along.

Refresh your tooth cleaning equipment

You may have been given a new electric toothbrush for Christmas, but if not, the New Year is probably a good time to invest in one. You are likely to find a few good bargains in the January sale and an electric toothbrush is a good investment for better oral health. Dentists generally agree that these are more efficient than a manual toothbrush at removing food particles and bacteria from the teeth and gum line.

While you are out shopping, we recommend that you pop a packet of floss in your basket. Don’t worry if you think you don’t know how to use it; you can always look it up online and the hygienist at our Epsom dentist will always be happy to demonstrate how to use it correctly during your next appointment. Just adding this cheap and simple step to your teeth cleaning regime can make a big difference to your oral health.

Check your chocolates!

There is every chance that you will, over Christmas, accumulate a lot of chocolates and other sweets. These may have been presents or you may have simply bought far more than you actually ate. The problem is what to do with them all. Whilst the odd chocolate won’t do too much harm, the fact is that if we eat too much sugar, tooth decay and other dental issues are likely to arise. You could donate excess to a charity or the homeless, but whatever you decide, it’s never the best idea to simply munch through them all. Your waistline will thank you too!

Make this a new start too. If you are in the habit of buying sweets, chocolates or even biscuits, ask yourself, when you are about to pop them in your shopping basket, if you really need them. The chances are that you often buy them out of habit. Try to put them back and opt for a healthier option such as fruit, or even a cheese selection as this will help to neutralise excess acidity of your mouth. It also brings calcium and other vitamins and minerals that help to build strong and healthy teeth.

Stop smoking

This one should be a no-brainer. We all know the harm that smoking can do to our health and that if we start, we are asking for trouble. If you currently smoke, make new year the time to quit. There are now many aids and support groups available to help you, so try to take advantage of them. There are plenty of well known health issues waiting for you if you don’t, but also ones that affect your oral health such as gum disease and oral cancers.

Drink more water

Most of us drink too little water and make up our liquid intake with other drinks. While some of these are relatively harmless if not too heavy on the sugar, such as tea and coffee, others contain not only high levels of sugar but are also acidic too. If you drink too many of these, you are likely to find that the enamel on your teeth wears down more quickly, potentially leading to sensitive teeth and tooth decay. Hydrating with water is cheap, freely available and will help to flush food particles and bacteria from the mouth as well as helping you avoid the dry mouth which can contribute to gingivitis and periodontitis.

See your dentist

Finally, if you have got out of the habit of seeing a dentist for a check up twice a year, 2023 is the year to change that. These routine appointments are essential for you to maintain a healthy mouth. You should also see the hygienist for your twice a year scale and polish procedure to keep your gums healthy too. Our friendly Epsom team also offers cosmetic dentistry, such as the ever popular teeth whitening, as well as a wide range of facial aesthetic treatments to help you have younger looking skin. If you would like to discuss these with us, the team at the Clocktower Dental, Implant & Facial Centre  are waiting for your ‘phone call on 01372 720136.