January first is right around the corner! You may already have some great ideas for New Year’s resolutions, but your Raleigh dentist has some ideas for you as well. If you can incorporate some or all of these changes into your daily lifestyle, you won’t just make your dentist in Raleigh, NC happy, and you won’t just have better-looking teeth. You’ll also be healthier and happier overall, and you will help yourself avoid some pretty serious oral health threats later on in life.
Brushing and Flossing (Obviously)
In the “beating a dead horse” category, we have to once again encourage you to establish a daily brushing and flossing regimen. You’re certainly tired of hearing that from your Raleigh dentist, and he’s tired of saying it! But we keep mentioning it because we are always surprised at how many people just have a hit-and-miss strategy for removing infection-causing bacteria from their teeth and gums. Before you look for any other tips for keeping your teeth healthy and beautiful, you absolutely need to get this one under your belt.
Reducing Wear and Tear
Most of us have little, quirky bad habits that we barely notice any more. Some people grab an ice cube from the freezer and chew on it when they walk through the kitchen. Other people have a piece of gum in their mouth more or less constantly throughout the day. And then there are those who bite their nails…nothing will make your Raleigh dentist cringe more than that one. For one thing, putting your fingers into your mouth transfers whatever bacteria and germs they have picked up directly into your body, exposing you to all sorts of pathogens. In addition, though, these and other chewing habits cause excessive wear and tear to your teeth, which are not designed for that sort of constant activity. And it’s not just your teeth—nail-biting in particular often leads to painful TMJ disorders, as the jaw gets worn out by all the extra, unusual activity. It’s well worth whatever tricks and strategies you have to employ in order to kick these habits for good, and 2019 is a great time to start!
Keeping Up (Teeth) Appearances
If your teeth suffer from discoloration picked up over years of exposure to different substances, asking your dentist in Raleigh, NC about teeth whitening is a great idea. But if your teeth still look great, or if you’ve recently had them whitened, it may be time to implement some New Year’s resolutions to keep them that way. You’ll want to customize your new habit based on what you typically drink and eat, but generally speaking, your goal should be to remove coffee, soda, and sugar residues from your teeth as soon as possible. A great general tip is to get into the habit of brushing your teeth after meals instead of just in the evening and/or morning. The longer you leave those food and drink particles in contact with your teeth, the easier it is for them to create permanent stains, sending you back to the dentist for teeth whitening before long.
Resolving Misalignment Problems
If you’ve been living with a gap between two teeth or a few badly misaligned teeth for a long time, make 2019 the year you finally get that problem resolved. It’s not just that a major irregularity in your smile makes you self-conscious and distracts people from your amazing personality. Misalignment between teeth nearly always creates openings through which bacteria and other infection-causing particles can make their way deep into your gums and negatively affect the vulnerable interior of the tooth. Even diligent brushing and flossing may not be enough to reach all of those particles all the time, and eventually you may need a root canal or even the extraction of another tooth in order to fight off a serious infection. Check with your Raleigh dentist to see how easy and convenient it is today to get a crown or denture made, or to get your teeth back into perfect alignment with each other.
At New Hope Dental Care, we look forward to making 2019 another incredible year of providing excellent oral health care to our great patients in the Raleigh area. Give us a call today!