New Year, Better Oral Health Habits
Sometimes when making New Years’ resolutions we can overreach and scupper our efforts by deciding on tasks that are too big or broad. Avoid this kind of failure by adjusting habits you already have, so that rather than having to remember and enact a whole new routine, you can gently remind yourself to maintain an adapted one! Read on to find out our top tips for bettering your routine, and discover how small alterations can make for the biggest and most positive changes!
Floss!
If you add one thing to your dental hygiene routine this year, it should be flossing. You might notice that this always comes up on oral health advice - and for good reason! Flossing regularly reduces gingivitis and tooth decay significantly when compared to brushing alone, and that alone should be enough encouragement! Many people find it frustrating due to it being time consuming, so we recommend taking the time this year to make your dental hygiene routine something fun that you’re not impatiently just trying to get through. Try popping on a podcast or your favorite song to distract your thoughts while you’re brushing and flossing, and you’ll find that you’ll be done much sooner than you think!
Brush Your Tongue
It’s easy to forget, but brushing your tongue actually makes a huge difference to your oral hygiene! Bacteria on your tongue causes bad breath and also mutes your taste buds, so brushing your tongue not only cleans your mouth and helps to fight off plaque, but actually makes things taste better, too!
Be Gentle
In a rush to get our brushing routine over and done with, we can sometimes be a bit overzealous with brushing, which then leads to new problems such as enamel erosion! Take care to exert gentle pressure at a 45 degree angle to protect the surface of your teeth and gums from abrasive bristles!
Eat and Drink Right
Maintaining a balanced diet helps your whole body as well as your teeth, so it’s always a good habit to get into! Inject your meals with nutrient and mineral rich foods such as eggs and leafy greens, and steer clear of carbonated beverages for better overall health and stronger, healthier teeth!
Maintain Consistency
Consistency is the most important aspect of a good oral hygiene routine - you can get your brushing and flossing routine to the perfect place, but unless you remember to do it twice a day for two minutes each session, your progress could be negated!
Upgrade Your Tools
Encourage yourself to maintain good habits by rewarding yourself with the best available tools! Use a toothpaste that contains fluoride, and if possible switch from a manual brush to electric or sonic for a deeper clean. We highly recommend trying out our Sonisk Pulse portable sonic toothbrush, which is not only a cost-effective option for trying out sonic power, but can also be kept on hand for brushing on the go!