Dental Cleaning in Kinston, NCNow that 2016 has closed it’s chapter in history, many of us are looking for a change. We like to sit around and revisit the past 365 days and look for opportunities to better ourselves by improving our quality of life.

But do any of our changes ( I hate the word “resolutions’) actually manage to be a part of our daily lives by the Ides of March?

This is not written to be a Ricky’s great motivational blog that will forever change your life, but is meant to be some simple dental health tips that you can “sink your teeth into” and maybe help you save some dough!

Four Simple New Year’s Tips to Shape Up Our Smiles

Here are four simple dental health tips for 2017  that will help us improve our oral health in 2017!

  1. Buy a New Toothbrush.

This is possibly the simple and easiest tip for you to take heed to to improve your oral health for 2017.  This doesn’t mean you have to go out and purchase a $100 Sonicare electric toothbrush.

But do yourself – and those around you a favor – buy a new toothbrush!

My rule of thumb is you need to change your tooth brush, or brush head for electric toothbrush users, with the change of each season. Brush your teeth for 3-4 minutes twice a day, and the savings will start immediately!

According to recommendations by the American Dental Association (ADA) you should you replace your toothbrush approximately every three to four months, or sooner if the bristles are frayed. That means don’t wait to get that free toothbrush at your six month check-up, but just go out and purchase a $3-4 dollar SOFT  toothbrush at Walmart or local supermarket. That small purchase can save you thousands of dollars over the next ten years!

  1. FLOSS.

Come on, is it really that hard to floss once a day?

The secret to flossing is not waiting to bed time to floss. It doesn’t matter when you floss during the day, so don’t wait until bedtime when your tired-which just makes it a hassle at that point.  Floss while your watching TV or the news earlier in the evening or get in the habit of flossing after lunch or dinner.  You pick the time that is most convenient for you.

Now, the trick here is you are not going to go from the guy or girl who flosses twice a year when you go to the dentist to the “The Most Outstanding Twine Twirler of the Year” in one week.

Most people fail at that new exercise program because they try to train like an Olympic athlete from the beginning.  By February they are burnt out and back on the Bojangles diet.

Begin “tickling the tooth twine” by flossing two times a week in January, three times a week in February…March will be four times…and so on…and so on…and so on.

By June you will be an Olympic flosser!   That means you will be in the top 1%!  And you said your high school chemistry teacher said you would never make it!

  1. Visit the Dentist At Least Twice this Year.

Most dentists recommend a minimum of 2 visits per year, and more for people who are in the Periodontal Disease program.

Regular dental visits help prevent potential future problems from developing – which is another way to actually SAVE MONEY in the long run by avoiding costly future treatment to address problems that could have been dealt with earlier.  It is a known fact that more people get their car’s oil changed every 3,000-5,000 miles than visit the dentist twice a year. I had a patient a few years ago who would get her pet poodle’s teeth cleaned twice a year but would not do the same for herself.

But don’t take it from me, see what the ADA has to say on the subject.

Continuity of care is an important part of any maintenance plan, and dental health is no exception!

  1. SMILE More in 2017!

It has been scientifically proven that a simple smile can boost our moods, relieve stress, & even strengthen our immune systems.

If that’s not enough to turn up the corners of your mouth, take a look at these 15 smile facts, and remember that “ Nothing looks better on you than a SMILE!”

I hope these 4 simple tips help improve your overall health in 2017 without breaking the bank.  They are so easy and and can lead to life long habits that can completely transform life!  Oops, I said that this blog was not about transforming your life!