Make a healthier smile your 2022 resolution

Is keeping those pearly whites in tip-top shape on your resolution list for the New Year? If not, it should be, and UT Dentistry is here to help! Maintaining good oral health not only helps your teeth to look and work better but is essential in maintaining your body’s overall health. Bacteria found in dental disease, especially gum disease, are some of the most destructive varieties anywhere in your body. An overload of bad oral bacteria not only causes tooth loss and bad breath but can adversely affect your heart and other organs.

The good news is that good oral health habits combined with regular dental checkups can stop destructive bacteria in their tracks. Regular brushing and flossing, combined with a diet low in processed sugar, go a long way toward making your dental visits as painless as possible. Having trouble keeping up with these simple measures? Here are a few tricks to help you keep your flossing game strong once and for all!

1.     Pick a reasonable goal: If you never floss, start with something realistic. Flossing once or twice a week is better than not at all. As you develop a habit that sticks, you can work toward the ideal of flossing once a day.
2.     Understand why this is important: In the case of flossing, it is important to combine it with regular brushing to increase your resistance to tooth and gum disease. Plus, those visits with the dental hygienist might actually be something to look forward to if you have something to brag about.
3.     Make it easy to succeed: Nobody says you must floss right before bed, especially if it is something you have never done. Don’t be afraid to work it in anytime you can. Buying a few small containers of floss and putting them in strategic places where they remind you of your goal will help you succeed. Add some soft dental picks to help when you are on the go and you can significantly improve your chances of improving gum health.
4.     Recognize and reward yourself for small changes: Sugar free gum, a new water bottle or a new tube of lipstick or lip balm are great ways to reinforce good habits on the way to great oral health.

At UT Dentistry, we know that you take your resolutions seriously. Let us help you take your oral health to the next level at our new UT Health General Dentistry Clinic. Our goal is to provide outstanding and compassionate dental care to our UT Health San Antonio family. Our clinic is an in-network preferred provider for UT System’s Delta Dental insurance with extended treatment hours and an on-campus location making it simple to check a dental exam off your resolution list.

Appointments and information for the General Dentistry Clinic are available by calling 210-56 SMILE (210-567-6453) or by requesting an appointment online at UTHealthDental.com.

 



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