It is Sunday afternoon and another snow storm has just blasted us once again. While it feels like winter will never end this year, rest assured we are half way through February and spring is around the corner. I’ve left behind some New Year’s resolutions already, but there are more on my list that I will surely stick with. Today, I wanted to start a series of posts about how you change your life in 2015 for the better with dentistry.
Let’s start with Dental Health. Three easy things that you can implement right now: Floss regularly. What does that mean? At least 4 times a week, but everyday is best. Mornings are busy and rushed at my house, but I take 2 minutes at night to brush and floss for good teeth and gum health and so can you.
Second, watch out for hidden sugar. As I become more conscious of what is out there in the supermarket, I find myself looking at labels closely. Having an active 7 year old, I defiantly don’t need more sugar in his diet! But ‘healthy’ packaged foods can be sneaky. Lots of those kids yogurts are ‘low fat’ but have sugars added to it. It takes time, but shopping smart means keeping those sneaky sugars out of your diet as well. Sugar isn’t just in cookies, cakes, and sweets, but in carbohydrates, fruits, milk products too. So, if your little ones give you hard time about brushing after dinner, at least wash everything down with a glass of water to rinse away those left over carbs.
Third, maintain your check ups. While we have over 6 feet of snow this year alone and you might just feel like hibernating for the rest of the winter, take an hour out of you day to visit us. Prevention is the best medicine, truly. We can detect problems before they become unmanageable, and help keep you healthy all year long. Studies have shown over and over again that many healthy problems can be prevented by keeping your teeth and gums healthy. Poor oral hygiene and gum disease have been linked to:
- Heart disease
- Diabetes
- Dementia
- Rheumatoid arthritis
- Premature birth
What’s behind the links? While we don’t know for certain, experts believe that oral bacteria can escape into the bloodstream and injure major organs. Inflammation is probably a common denominator. Periodontal disease, marked by inflammation, may increase inflammation throughout the body. Inflammation, in turn, is an underlying problem in diseases including heart disease and rheumatoid arthritis.
So, give us a call today and see how your dental health is doing. If you are suffering from periodontal disease, one or visits a year may not be enough to help keep those nasty bacteria in check. Let us help you find a plan that works, and keep not just your mouth but the rest of you happy and healthy as well. Remember, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Sometimes it is hard to see the forest for the trees, but having seen so many people put off the inevitable, I cannot stress how easy it is to make small changes and see great improvements.
My resolutions this year? As a wife, mother, dentist, friend, daughter, sister, I always seem to be taking care of others. But, this year I vowed to carve out time for my mental and physical health. For 20 minutes each day, I close the door and lock it and work on something productive. My writing, photography, emailing/talking to far away friends, cleaning out my messy dresser; whatever it is I do it. And, 4 times a week I take an 1hour for my physical health. Walking the dog, lifting weights, playing sports, just doing something physical.
