Tis’ the season for New Year’s resolutions. Make a vow to improve your oral hygiene and keep your smile bright and healthy. Not to mention that proper dental care can impact your overall health and appearance. Here are a few resolutions to improving your oral hygiene.

Brush Appropriately
One of the most simple way to improve your oral health is to brush your teeth properly and for a full 2 minutes.

Floss Daily
While we know we are supposed to floss daily, many of us neglect to do so on a regular basis. Flossing daily can help to reduce your risk of developing tooth decay and gum disease, as well as make for fresher breath.

Snack Less
Limiting snacks can be beneficial for your oral health and waistline. Snacking between meals increases the amount of bacteria present in your mouth which will leave to the development of plaque. Limiting your snacking will reduce the bacteria in your mouth and help improve your waistline.

Limit Acidic Foods
Acidic foods, like soft drinks and sports drinks can be highly damaging to your mouth and wear away the enamel on your teeth. Limit your consumption of acidic food and drinks and drink plenty of water to help rinse away the acid and bacteria.

Smoking
Not only is smoking bad for your health, but it can be harmful to your oral hygiene. Smoking and smokeless tobacco products can increase your risk for gum disease and tooth loss. It can be a challenge to stop smoking, but the decision can impact your overall health.

Visit the Dentist
Visiting the dentist twice a year can help to keep your teeth and gums at their healthiest. It can also ensure any problems that arise are detected and treated properly before the condition worsens.

Let our Ooltewah dentist office help you make a resolution to keep your teeth at their whitest, brightest and healthiest. After all, there is no time like the present to start improving your oral health.

The holiday season is filled with an abundance of sweets and treats. While these Christmas candies can be delicious, they can also pose a number of risks to your oral health. Cookies, candy canes and other desserts don’t have to lead to cavities.

The naturally occurring bacteria in your mouth feed on the sugar, leaving behind acids. Over time, these acids wear down tooth enamel which leads to weaker teeth that are more susceptible to tooth decay and gingivitis.

Snacking on sweets throughout the day can be particularly harmful to your teeth. The acid produced from these sugar packed snacks can effect teeth for up to 20 minutes after they are consumed. Brushing after snacking can help to reduce bacteria and your risks for cavities and gingivitis.

Here are our top tips for staying cavity free this holiday season:

Find a Balance
When you eat sugary snacks try to do so with a meal to reduce the impact they have on your teeth.

Avoid Sticky Sweets
Sticky sweets cling to your teeth keeping contact with your enamel. Additionally, these candies can loosen or remove fillings and crowns. Opt for items that dissolve quickly.

Keep Supplies Handy
Keeping a travel toothbrush, toothpaste and floss in your bag, desk or car can help to keep your teeth at their best even when you are on the go.

Rinse Frequently
Rinsing your mouth with water after eating or drinking can help to remove food particles and bacteria when brushing isn’t an option.

Brush Away
Your best defense against bacteria is frequent brushing. Brush your teeth after eating and drinking. When consuming foods that are high in acid, wait at least 30 minutes before brushing to protect the enamel.

Our toothbrushes help to keep our mouths squeaky clean, but how clean is your toothbrush? Follow these tips to keep your toothbrush clean and your mouth healthy and sparkling.

• Don’t store your toothbrush in a closed, dark, moist space. These conditions are a breeding ground for bacteria.

• Change your toothbrush every 3 months or when it begins to show signs of wear. Regularly replacing your toothbrush will ensure better brushing and help reduce the buildup of bacteria.

• Sharing toothbrushes leaves you susceptible to transferring bacteria that can lead to more serious dental issues like tooth decay and gum disease.

• Rinse your toothbrush after each use to remove any debris in the bristles. Soaking the toothbrush in mouth wash is a good way to deep clean it.

• Keep your toothbrush at least 6 feet from the toilet. Flushing disperses particles through the air that can contaminate your toothbrush and make you sick.

• Allow your toothbrush to dry upright. This will help it to dry completely and prevent the development of mold.

Keeping your toothbrush clean can help improve your overall health. Follow these tips for a squeaky clean toothbrush and mouth.

Sugar can be one of the worst foods for your dental health, often leading to tooth decay and enamel erosion. The oral bacteria, plaque, use the sugar as energy to grow and strengthen in thickness. Without a proper brushing after eating, the plaque will eat away at the enamel eventually resulting in cavities and tooth decay.

In addition to a decline in tooth health, plaque can irritate gums making them more sensitive and susceptible to bleeding and gum disease. When the gums and teeth become separated, the resulting pockets can fill with bacteria and when left untreated can destroy the bone around the tooth causing loose teeth.

Here are a few tips to increase your overall oral health:

• Eat a healthy and balanced diet.
• Don’t eliminate entire food groups as that can lead to vitamin and mineral deficiencies.
• Use a straw when drinking sugary or carbonated beverages to limit direct contact with your teeth.
• Limit sugar consumption to a maximum of 4 times per day.
• Snack on foods that are low in sugar such as cheese, nuts, vegetables or fruit.
• When you do drink a soda, do so with a meal as it is less harmful to your teeth.
• To protect against tooth decay, combine carbs with other foods to help neutralize acid.
• Drink water throughout the day to keep your mouth moist and free of food particles.

A healthy and well balanced diet is essential to good overall health. While you should limit your sugar intake, it isn’t feasible to remove it from your diet entirely. Read the labels on products and be mindful to limit foods that have added sugar.

Like the saying states, “an apple a day keeps the doctor away”, but when you find yourself needing a cleaning, give our Ooltewah dentist office a call. Written by Tiffany Hutton