New Year’s resolution: Take care of your oral health
Lybrook Dental Center – Fruita Times Featured Article – January 2010
By Dr. Carol Lybrook, DDS
Editor’s Note: The author, Dr. Carol Lybrook and her husband, Dr. Scott Lybrook, operate Lybrook Dental Center in the Kokopelli Professional Plaza in Fruita.
Every year, we ring in the New Year celebration with the intention of adopting a resolution. The logic behind this tradition is to chase away the bad habits of the previous year, leaving a clean slate that provides for good health and fortune in the coming year. The New Year is a great time to resolve and follow through on healthy changes to establish or re-establish good dental health habits for your family. Good dental health requires only a few minutes a day.
Here are (5) five practical suggestions on how to make good on your resolution to improve your smile and overall oral health:
1. Visit the dentist regularly.
Regular dental visits are important to overall dental health. Be sure to tell your dentist about any medications (new or existing) that you or your children are taking. Parents should make sure their children see the dentist for the first time around their second birthday. Also, ensure every visit includes a comprehensive oral screening and exam. Make sure you have a preventive plan in place for 2010.
2. Eat a nutritious and healthy diet.
Good nutrition plays an important role in dental health. Eating an orally healthy diet should include a variety of foods from the five main food groups, and limit in between snacks. Continuous contact with foods and beverages that are high in sugar can negatively affect the teeth and gums. Make a resolution to cut down on the number of sugary drinks and sticky, sugary snacks. Instead, offer your children water and fruits and vegetables for snacks. Also, offer water to your children to drink after meals to help cleanse the teeth.
3. Brush your teeth at least twice a day with fluoride toothpaste.
Learning proper brushing techniques is an essential part of maintaining good oral health and preventing gum disease. Daily brushing helps remove decay-causing plaque from tooth surfaces. Fluoride reduces tooth decay and prevents cavities. Parents and caregivers should consult a dentist or health care provider before introducing a child under age two to fluoride toothpaste.
4. Floss daily.
Flossing cleans areas between the teeth where the toothbrush can’t reach. Dental floss should be used to floss between teeth at least once a day for two-three minutes. It is important to floss between all teeth in the mouth. Start in the same place each time and work around the mouth. For children, flossing should begin when there are two teeth in the mouth that touch together, usually around age four or five years of age. Parents can help floss children’s teeth until they are able to floss by themselves.
5. Throw away old toothbrushes and replace them with new ones.
It is recommended that a toothbrush be replaced every two or three months or after an illness. Start the New Year with a new toothbrush.
Start off the new decade with healthy resolutions that will make you smile and create healthy habits that can last a lifetime for you and your family. Happy New Year from Lybrook Dental Center!