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We are fast closing in on the end of the year. You know what that means, don’t you? That’s right, it’s time to consider what your New Year’s resolutions will be. What are you going to put your heart, soul, and efforts into accomplishing next year that will improve your lifestyle and life?

Or, at least until mid-February. U.S. News came out several years ago saying that approximately 80% of resolutions fail by the second week of February. That’s kind of sobering when all we want to do is be healthier and happier in the new year. What is the problem? Well, it’s hard to change habits or to develop new ones, even when we know they are good for us.

With all that information in mind, we were talking here at Southeast Family Dental and realize that some of the New Year’s resolutions are just too hard and demanding for people. How many times have your resolved to:

• Lose weight?
• Quit smoking?
• Exercise more?

Yep, those are the Big Three resolutions. And those are so common because they are all ways to get and be healthier. But the dentists here at Southeast Family Dental have another idea. We have some suggestions that can not only make you healthier, but they are not sooooo hard to do.

Reasons why we want you to adopt some of our suggested resolutions

Before we tell you what they are, let us give you a little “proof” that what we are suggesting is equally as important as the Big Three.

According to Dr. Nigel Carter, OBE, Chief Executive of the British Dental Health Foundation, the health of the mouth has consistently been a reliable marker for assessing the health of our whole body. In an article at dentalhealth.org, he says,

“Oral health indicators such as gum disease have regularly been linked to a wide range of general health problems such as heart disease, heart attacks, strokes, diabetes, dementia, and problems during pregnancy.

“Many oral health diseases (such as gum disease) are entirely preventable and are caused by poor oral hygiene. By taking good care of our teeth, not only will our mouth benefit but the positive changes will be felt by the entire body.”

Plus, because flossing is instrumental in preventing gum disease, experts have said over the years that flossing daily can add upwards to 6.5 years to your life – and that’s just from flossing!

Suggested dental health New Year’s resolutions

We know you will say you are considering our thoughts on resolutions because you want to be healthier. But we also know you probably remembered that statement about our resolutions not being so hard to keep. We will keep that promise to you. Make improving your dental health a priority this coming year. Here are a few ideas:

• Start flossing (daily is best (see above 6.5 years!) but take baby steps if you need to).
• Commit to seeing your dentist twice each year (you CAN schedule both appointments at the same time).
• Start using a mouth rinse (like Listerine Total Care).
• Set aside (budget) money for planned dental treatments (crowns, bridges, dental implants, braces, etc.)
• Quit smoking (OK, we know that’s a hard one, but it’s good for your dental health, too.)

There was a study published in the journal of Community Dentistry and Oral Epidemiology that came up with this result:

Those people with 20 teeth or more at the age of 70 had a considerably higher chance of living longer than those with less than 20 teeth.

The secret then, is to keep your own teeth. That means practicing good oral and dental health. Of course, we aren’t telling you to not pursue losing weight, exercise, and ceasing smoking. No, those are all great resolutions to make. But if you pursue the suggested dental health resolutions above, you will probably have greater success – and significantly improve your health, too!

With that in mind, can you think of any other dental health resolutions to make this New Year? We’d love to hear what they are and share them with our readers.