5 New Year’s resolutions for a healthy smile

With the new year approaching, you may have already begun to think about your New Year’s resolutions. You may be considering resolving to save money, get a better job or lose weight. Many people set new goals about having a healthier lifestyle in the new year. Why not make one of your New Year’s resolutions improving your dental health?

Resolutions can keep your teeth healthy, and any of these strategies will go a long way toward giving you a brighter, healthier smile in the coming year.

1. Eat plenty of fruit and vegetables

Eating well is important for your dental health. Poor nutrition can affect the entire immune system, increasing susceptibility to many common oral disorders, including gum (periodontal) disease. Antioxidants and other nutrients found in fruits, vegetables, legumes and nuts improve your body’s ability to fight bacteria and inflammation, helping to protect your teeth and gums. In addition, crisp fruits and raw vegetables like apples, carrots and celery help clean plaque from teeth and freshen breath.

2. Stop using tobacco products

Using tobacco can increase your risk for tooth discoloration, cavities, gum recession, gum disease and throat, lung and oral cancer. Smokers are about twice as likely to lose their teeth as non-smokers.

And it’s not just smoking tobacco that has negative effects on your oral health: Smokeless tobacco can be just as harmful to your oral health.

The good news is that the risk of tooth loss decreases after you quit smoking or using smokeless tobacco.

3. Limit your alcohol intake

You may already know that frequent binge drinking intake can influence your overall health, but did you know that it may also affect your oral health? People who smoke, eat poorly and frequently consume 4 or more alcoholic beverages in one sitting also have increased gum recession (periodontal pocketing), according to the Academy of General Dentistry. Studies show that smokers who regularly consume alcohol are less likely to brush their teeth on a regular basis and are less concerned about their basic health than nonsmokers.

4. Brush and floss every day

Brushing and flossing protect your teeth from decay and gum disease, which is caused by your teeth’s most persistent enemy, plaque — a sticky, colorless, invisible film of harmful bacteria that builds up on your teeth every day. Both brushing and flossing are equally important for good oral health. Only flossing can remove plaque from between teeth and below the gumline, where decay and gum disease often begins.

Without proper brushing and flossing, you may develop bleeding gums, which may worsen to severely swollen, red, bleeding gums (gingivitis) and, eventually, gum disease. Because diseases of the mouth can affect the rest of your body, maintain good oral health can help protect your whole body.