It should come as no surprise that globally the most common New Year’s resolution is to be healthier. The beauty is, whether or not you fall into this category of holiday hopefuls, you can begin a better lifestyle by simply taking care of your oral health.
Balanced Diet:
Eating a variety of foods within the five major food groups is ideal for maintaining good teeth. Plenty of water, dairy, lean proteins, and of course, fruits and veggies are among the best foods for dental health.
Sugar is the biggest culprit when looking at foods that negatively impact both your body and mouth. While, yes, you gain weight by ingesting too much sugar – often the outcome of teeth is more irreversible. Tooth decay (which often leads to cavities) is triggered by too much sugar. Toothaches, sensitivity, holes in your teeth and painful eating can all occur if you’re binging too often on sugar. Simple solution: cut it out.
Cardiovascular Health:
If your heart is on your mind this year, your dental hygiene should be too. Research shows that the bacteria accumulated in your mouth spreads through the bloodstream and into damaged areas of the heart. This can lead to endocarditis, stroke and atherosclerosis.
As heart disease is the leading killer in the United States, it’s important that you have a dental hygiene routine that keeps your mouth in tip-top shape. Remember, flossing is your friend.
Curbing Your Appetite:
While a balanced diet is essential to losing or maintaining a certain amount of weight, it gets hard to fed off that ever-looming sweet tooth. Luckily, if you’re looking for an easy way to keep up with your resolution of weight loss, cleaning your teeth might just do the job. In fact, you can train your brain out of wanting food by brushing your teeth.
There’s no hidden trick here. Really it boils down this: after you brush your teeth, your mouth is left with a minty, fluoride-y flavor that’s pretty incompatible with most other tastes. Now, don’t get carried away. Oral health is great but over-brushing can lead to enamel decay so know your limits.
Resolution or not, oral health should be a major consideration if you’re pursuing a healthier lifestyle. Be it for a balanced diet, a better heart or a smaller waistline, keeping up with your oral care can lead to a healthier, happier you.
Curious about your oral hygiene? Make an appointment with your local Orlando dentist for a check up and start the year off right.
