Dental Health Resolutions for the New Year

The New Year is a time for renewal, not just of our calendars, but of our lives.  It’s an opportunity to start fresh, yet again, and live a better and healthier life with a new set of guidelines.  If you’re like many people you don’t take care of your teeth as well as you should so January 1st represents a great time to make a change towards better dental health.  Here are some teeth-friendly resolutions you should consider sticking to this year.

Brush up on The Basics

You should brush three times a day and floss daily and if you stick to those basics that’s a lot of preventative maintenance done for your teeth right there.  If flossing has been too much of a hassle for you traditionally consider floss picks or interdental brushes as an alternative.

Get Your Teeth Whiter

You look in the mirror and your teeth are ruddier or more yellow than you’d like.  You can address that with a trip to the dentist.

Get Those Imperfections Fixed

Maybe you have a chip or a crack that doesn’t really bother you, except when you see it in the mirror.  Make the time this year to get those problems taken care of.  Keeping your smile bright and without glaring flaws can be a big boost for your self-esteem.

Teach Your Kids

You know you need to pass on good hygiene habits to the little ones so this is the year to do it.  Take the time to show them how to brush and floss properly and explain the reasons why it’s important.

See Your Dentist More Often

Maybe 2015 has been a busy year, perhaps with the New Year and January around the corner… it’s a great time to get back on schedule to make sure little problems don’t become big ones.  Even a quick dental cleaning can save you a lot in pain and bills down the road.  Make this year the year you start taking really great care of your teeth. 

As a reminder, a majority of dental insured patients has an annual renewal of their dental benefits January 1st.  If you’re one of our patients fortunate enough to have benefits, remember, unused benefits do not get carried forward, they’re lost forever.  If you have any issues or questions about your dental benefits and want some guidance contact us at Pickering Square Dental today.

Ways to Whiten Your Teeth

Keeping your teeth looking healthy means keeping that smile bright.  Over time teeth can be stained by food and drink.  They can also be dulled and darkened by fluorosis – the excessive intake of fluorine compounds – or simply as part of the aging process.  Whitening teeth has become a big part of dental care but not all whitening products are equivalent.

Toothpaste

Your drugstore will likely have an entire row dedicated to teeth whitening.  The most common are whitening toothpastes which are just regular toothpastes with additional ingredients to lighten the teeth.  While whitening toothpaste can be useful for removing stains its power to lighten teeth is limited – generally only lightening by about one shade – in contrast to other methods.

Gels & Strips

Whitening gels are peroxide-based and applied directly on the surface of the teeth.  Strips, which are becoming quite popular are transparent adhesive bands coated with similar gels and folded around the teeth.  Based on instructions each application needs to be left on for 30 minutes to overnight on a daily or twice daily basis.  For many people this can be annoying.

Mouthwash

Mouthwash with whitening has become available more recently.  It has all the benefits of regular mouthwash – better breath and reduction of plaque and gum disease – with ingredients to lighten teeth.  This presents obvious benefits but with such a limited time for the whitening compound to interact with your teeth the capacity to whiten may be limited.  In fact most manufacturers state that it may take 12 weeks before any results can be seen.

Dentist Administered

Your dentist can offer a wide range of whitening options.  The most popular of which is bleaching.  With a dentist-administered in-office whitening your teeth can get – in a single 30-60 minute treatment – three to eight shades lighter.  Of all the options it is the shortest in duration with the biggest immediate impact.  With a few more treatments you’ll be able to reach a beautiful white shine with limited effort.

Keeping your teeth white is an important part, not just of dental care, but of maintaining an overall great look.  If you have questions on the wide variety of whitening options available contact us at Pickering Square Dental today.