5 Secrets to a Healthy Smile

January has come and gone, and with it, I’m sure, your New Year’s resolution. I’m not being pessimistic, just realistic…Did you know that only 8% of people who make resolutions each year actually keep them?

If you made a New Year’s resolution this year, and if you’ve already given up on it, don’t stress about it—that goal was probably never meant to be in the first place! There are plenty of ways you can improve your life this year, and they don’t require a huge lifestyle change either. One of those things is to get that beautiful smile you’ve always wanted.

Below are 5 secrets to a more beautiful smile, and a more fulfilling life:

1.    Visit the dentist more often:Okay, I’m not just saying this because I am a dentist, but the standard “twice a year” visit to the dentist is really only half enough. For the best and brightest smile, you should really go every 90 days. Just three months after a cleaning, all that bacteria we clear out recolonizes. Going every 90 days can nip that in the bud.

2.    See the RIGHT dentist: The dentist should NOT scare you. If going for a regular check up does scare you, reevaluate your reasons for seeing your current dentist, and strongly consider switching to a new one.

3.    Don’t wait for pain to kick in before calling us: So many people only call us when they’re in pain—don’t do this! If you’re already in pain, that means there is already an infection and an overload of bacteria eating away at your teeth.

4.    Floss! We dentists may sound redundant, but we are so for a reason. Brushing only gets 50% of bacteria off of your teeth. Floss can reach the places that a tooth brush can’t and get the other 50%.

5.    The mouth never lies:We dentists have clairvoyant powers. Okay, maybe nothing as supernatural as clairvoyance, but we can tell what you ate for breakfast, whether or not you’re a soda, coffee or wine drinker, if you grind your teeth or clench your jaw, if you have or had had drug problems and if you experience a lot of stress. How can we gather all this insight simply by looking into your mouth? Your teeth and gums give me signs, in the form of wear, gum recession, acid erosion patterns, bad breath and many more small indicators that many people wouldn’t know to look for.

So there you have it—5 secrets to a new, beautiful you this year. Get your smile on—if you need any help, you know where to find us: http://www.lakeshorefamilydentist.com/contact.html