Your lifestyle affects your oral health more than you think. According to a recent study, those who live a healthier lifestyle are more likely to exhibit healthy dental behaviors such as visiting the dentist, getting dental treatment, and more. This prevents oral infections and other oral diseases. This also can keep your teeth and gums healthy for many years. You might be thinking about what healthy lifestyle you can adopt to boost your oral health. There are many lifestyle changes you can adapt to, and here are some of them.
Brushing Your Teeth Twice a Day
This is an activity you should integrate into your lifestyle right now. It’s an obvious activity, and we’re sure you’re already doing it in your life. But some people tend to forget that twice is the magic number for brushing. If you only brush once a day, you’re not getting the full benefits of brushing. However, if you brush more than twice a day, you are susceptible to oral damage.
The thing with brushing too much is that you can damage a part of your teeth while doing it. The enamel (the protective layer of teeth) can get brushed off, leading to teeth sensitivity. It can also leave your teeth susceptible to tooth damage and chipping. This can hurt a lot when it happens. It can also leave your teeth susceptible to infections. When brushing, ensure that you’re only doing it twice a day. You should also make sure that you only do light strokes and don’t brush too hard.
Mindfulness Exercise
Many Americans are afraid of the dentist. It’s estimated that about 36% of the population are afraid to visit the dentist, with more than 10% of this given population extremely scared of oral visits. Mindfulness exercises have been known to lessen all kinds of fear, especially irrational fears. Here are some mindfulness exercises that you should integrate into your lifestyle to keep yourself calm before visiting the dentist:
Breathing Exercises
Breathing exercises have been a staple exercise when it comes to mindfulness. Inhaling and exhaling are both activities we do every day, but never the right way. Giving ourselves the time and the patience to do it can help reduce stress, manage fears and anxiety, and prepare us for daily problems we have ahead of us. You can breathe in and hold it for five seconds (or when your stomach fully expands) and then exhale through your mouth. Do this for five to ten minutes, and you should be able to extinguish any fears you have when visiting the dentist.
Self-Affirmation Exercises
Sometimes our state of mind and how we view ourselves affect how we fear the unknown, particularly visits to the dentist. Changing the mindset that we are weak and that we aren’t capable can give us the confidence boost and the necessary courage to perform the things we fear the most. Self-affirmation exercises consist of saying positive and real things to yourself. This can take some time as most people aren’t used to it, but you can always state the words “I am capable” and “I am worthy” for a start.
Proactive Dental Implants
Sometimes we can’t avoid the extraction of our permanent teeth. Our teeth degrade no matter how healthy our oral health is, with some people’s teeth degrading faster than others. Dental implants are the best way to keep your appearance while also boosting your oral health right after an extraction. Dental implants cost relatively cheap for what they offer your oral health. They are particularly cheap when compared to other dental treatments out there.
It’s a cost-effective way to improve your oral health while making you feel good and confident. They give you the chance to eat your favorite food again, speak properly, and prevent bone loss. Furthermore, they reduce the chance of your gums getting infected due to exposure. Dental implants also practically last forever, so you’ll never worry about that part of your mouth ever again.
Avoiding Vices
Both alcohol and tobacco are detrimental to people’s general lives. However, they also have significant effects on oral health. Both of these substances can deteriorate your teeth faster than any sugary sweet you eat in the market. They can also affect your gums. Most people who do these vices are susceptible to oral cancer, which can also be fatal when not treated. It’s in your best interest to avoid these vices altogether if you want to live a generally healthy life.
Here are some simple lifestyle activities that you can integrate into your daily life to help boost your oral health. Our oral health is connected to the way we view ourselves, self-esteem, and confidence. By protecting and boosting our oral health, we can ensure that we can keep all of those things up alongside many more factors! So do your best to do these activities when you can.
