Here is an easy New Year’s resolution that you can smile about. Set a goal for good dental health, it will benefit your total health too. Follow these simple tips to maintain good oral health all year long.

1. Brush your teeth at least two times a day. Proper brushing removes plaque from the surface before it hardens into calculus.
2. Use fluoride toothpaste to prevent decay.
3. Change your toothbrush every 3 to 6 months, depending upon which type of brush you use.
4. Floss your teeth daily. Flossing is the only way to remove plaque from in between your teeth that a toothbrush can’t reach.
5. Use a mouth rinse. An antimicrobial mouth rinse can provide extra help in controlling plaque.
6. Eat healthy meals and snacks. As your grandmother told you in years gone by, sugar rots your teeth and contributes to cavities. Plus, eating more vegetables helps to remove plaque and has less sugar than processed foods.
7. Chew only sugar free gum. If you like to chew gum make sure it is a sugar-free type.  There are lots of flavors and no guilt. Chewing sugar-free gum generates saliva which helps rinse stray food particles and acid from teeth.
8. Remember teeth are tools for chewing food, not for ripping plastic packages or popping bottle caps open.  Even gnawing on pencils, ice, popcorn kernels or other hard objects can result in chipped or cracked teeth.  This year try to use your teeth as they were intended and avoid unnecessary damage that could require a root canal.

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