Remember to Floss—only 40% of American adults floss every day, and 20% don’t floss at all! If you find yourself in either of those groups, the New Year is the perfect opportunity to change your habits and start on the right foot. Pick up some floss at your local grocery store or drugstore… maybe while you’re out grabbing some bubbly to ring in the New Year!
Review Your Brushing Habits—first thing’s first! If you’re not already following the ADA recommended “two-times-two” method (that is, brushing your teeth at least twice a day for two minutes each), it’s time to start! If you’re in the 70% of Americans who do, it can’t hurt to review your brushing technique.
- Place your toothbrush at a 45-degree angle to the gums.
- Gently move the brush back and forth in short (tooth-wide) strokes.
- Brush the outer surfaces, the inner surfaces, and the chewing surfaces of the teeth.
- To clean the inside surfaces of the front teeth, tilt the brush vertically and make several up-and-down strokes.
Cutting the Junk Food—this one is usually a resolution for weight-loss and health reasons, but what you eat has huge impact on your pearly whites! Making small changes in your daily life (opting for a healthy snack rather than a candy bar), not only will work wonders for your body and mind, but your teeth, too.
Dental Visits—remember our statistic about dentist visits? Pretty dismal, we know. So in 2022, be sure to schedule your regular dentist checkups. You should go at least twice a year, but ideally you would go every four months. Either way, don’t fall into the group that didn’t visit at all! Your teeth will thank you, especially since regular cleanings, checkups and screenings can help prevent more serious conditions down the road.
