It’s now been a while since New Year started and many have already let go of their promises made in the fleeting moments of New Year’s Eve. This is usual, in fact. January 17 is even earmarked as the “Ditch New Year’s Resolutions Day.”
A Forbes Health/One Poll survey revealed that the typical resolution only lasts 3.74 months, and merely 1 percent of those polled pursued their goals for the whole year.1
A resolution to improve your dental health can benefit more than your smile, so why not consider it?
Turning a resolution into an action and then repeating it over time creates habits. A study by the University College London suggested that establishing a new habit could take roughly 66 days. But they also noticed some could form a new habit in as little as 18 days, while others required as long as 254 days.2 Like all adventures, gradually moving towards a high-ranging goal enhances your chances of succeeding.
You can make your diet—and thereby, your overall and dental health—better by making small adjustments for each meal or snack-bearing in mind a few practical tips.
Tip #1: Cut Down on Sugar
Not every sugar category is the same. Sugar is a natural component present in numerous whole fruits, vegetables, dairy items, and grains. It’s the refined sugar—you’ll find them in many processed foods—you need to steer clear of.
Today’s nutrition labels clarify both total sugars and those added. These extra sugars, also termed as refined sugars, extract from cane, sugar beets, and corn and include familiar names like sucrose (table sugar), glucose, and high-fructose corn syrup.3
Interestingly, the foods with the most refined sugars are the very ones a lot of us regularly eat, for example, sodas and fruit-flavored drinks, flavored yogurts, cereals, cookies and cakes. However, refined sugars also sneak into soups, bread, cured meats, and ketchup. 4
Not only has excess sugar consumption been linked to obesity and other chronic conditions, but excess sugar also leads to tooth decay. Sugar interacts with plaque on your teeth and produces acid, which attacks and deteriorates your tooth enamel. Where tooth enamel is lost, cavities develop.
Tip #2: Eat Foods That Promote Tooth Health
While refined sugars contribute to tooth enamel loss and cavities, there are foods you can eat which actually strengthen and rebuild tooth enamel, such as foods high in calcium and phosphorus.5 Calcium rich foods include cheese, milk, plain yogurt, calcium-fortified tofu, leafy greens and almonds. Foods high in phosphorus include protein rich foods such as meat, poultry, fish, milk and eggs.
Tip #3: Make Water Your Beverage of Choice
Most public water systems in the United States add fluoride to water. Fluoride is known to reduce cavities and water fluoridation has been endorsed by the American Medical Association, the American Dental Association and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Water also hydrates your mouth, washing away food debris without adding anything that will remain on the teeth and cause harm, such as a sugary drink would do. Water also washes away acids produced by the bacteria in your mouth.
The saliva in your mouth is actually made up of 99 percent water and lots of saliva production means you won’t have a dry mouth.6 You don’t need to guzzle plain water to improve your water intake. Fruits and vegetables are also good sources of water, as well as fiber, and contain helpful vitamins, like vitamin C for healthy gingiva and healing and vitamin A for building tooth enamel.7
By sticking to one or all of these tips, your teeth will stay in top form. Slipping up now and then is okay. Every day is a new chance to do better and come June 1, you can celebrate “Resolution Restart Day”. So, you won’t need to wait until 2024 to renew your vows to your objectives!
Complete Dental Care and Services for the Family
Sedki Dentistry in Commerce Twp can help get you on the right track to achieving optimal dental health. Our dental services are supported by a well trained and skilled staff that puts patient’s needs first by educating, answering questions, and addressing dental concerns promptly.
If you are looking for cosmetic dentistry services such as dental veneers or braces, restorative dental treatments such as dental implants or dentures, you can find them and more here at our full-service dental clinic. Start your dental health journey with a Free dental consultation. Call today!
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1 New Year’s Resolutions Statistics 2024 by Sarah Davis, 12/18/2023
Link: https://www.forbes.com/health/mind/new-years-resolutions-statistics/
2 How Long Does it Actually Take to Build a Habit? by Rita Hitching, MSc, 10/25/2022
Link: https://www.humnutrition.com/blog/how-long-does-it-take-to-build-a-habit/
3, 4 Is Sugar Unhealthy? by Matthew Solan, 8/1/2022
Link: https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/is-sugar-unhealthy
5, 7 Oral Health
Link: https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/oral-health/
6 4 Ways Drinking Water Improves Your Smile, 2/23/2017
Link: https://dentistry.uic.edu/news-stories/4-ways-drinking-water-improves-your-smile/