Your dental health is an important part of your overall wellness, and the new year is the perfect time to design resolutions for establishing healthy habits! Many people have dental health resolutions that range from improving their toothbrushing habits to completing delayed dental treatment. Whatever your goals might be, it is important to take small steps to achieve them.

Daily toothbrushing and flossing is a sure and simple way to improve your oral health. For successful bacterial plaque removal, it is important to brush at least twice a day using an appropriately sized, soft-bristle, manual or electric toothbrush and fluoridated toothpaste. Both brushing and flossing are equally important for good oral health: according to the Academy of General Dentistry, only flossing can remove plaque from between teeth and below the gum line, where decay and gum disease often begins.

An important part of achieving your dental health resolutions is making healthier food and beverage choices. Frequent consumption of food and beverages containing carbohydrates and acids contributes to tooth decay, so it is important to brush after snacking.

Stop tobacco use. Quitting cigarette smoking and smokeless tobacco use is important for improving your oral and overall health. There is no better time than the present to make a resolution to stop tobacco use.

The New Year may be the right time to start or complete deferred restorative dental work, such as crowns, implants or fillings. Completing these types of procedures will help you to preserve the tooth or jaw bone structure and to maintain proper tooth alignment, which could ultimately improve your oral health.

A resolution to make routine visits to the dentist may help prevent oral disease or reveal an existing disease in its early stage. Dental visits should take place every 6 months to allow your dentist and dental hygienists to monitor the condition of your oral cavity and develop an appropriate treatment plan to meet your wants and needs.

For this new year, resolve to treat your mouth right: improve your diet, quit smoking and improve your oral hygiene habits – your teeth and your body will thank you for it.

The team at Lakeside Center for Implant Dentistry can help you achieve your New Year’s dental health goals. Call us at 586-228-0909 to make an appointment today!