Happy New Year! We hope your holidays were filled with love, laughter, and good food. We are well rested after our week off and ready to start 2022 with you!
New Year, New You!
If you’re considering a New Year’s resolution this year, there are many that you can choose from that will make your smile healthier. This will contribute to your overall health, too, and will improve your appearance for the upcoming year. Here are a few ideas to get you started:
- Visit the Dentist Regularly- The most important resolution for 2022 is to see us at least twice a year. If you haven’t been making your regular hygiene appointments, there’s no better time than now to start! Regular appointments help to prevent gum disease, may diagnose oral cancer and disease at a treatable stage, and keep you up to date on changes to your teeth and gums.
- Floss Every Day- If you take the effort in the coming year, you could reduce your risk of gum disease and tooth decay in hard-to-reach places between your teeth. Plus, you’ll get fresher breath, too!
- Brush the Full 2 Minutes- Studies have shown that most Americans actually brush for significantly less than one minute! To make sure you’re brushing long enough, use a timer and practice brushing each quadrant for 30 seconds. If you’re still using a manual toothbrush, consider making the upgrade to an electric toothbrush this year. Electric toothbrushes have built in timers, help clean your teeth significantly better than a manual toothbrush, and it will help you get better about brushing for two minutes at a time.
- Avoid Acidic Foods- Acidic foods can be highly damaging to your mouth. Soda, juices, and sports drinks are among the worst and should be limited. If you are guilty of consuming these beverages on a daily basis, try to reduce the amount you’re drinking. Always remember to follow up with a drink of water to help rinse the acid from your teeth.
- Quit Smoking- Smoking is one of the most dangerous habits for your teeth and for your health. It increases your risk of gum disease and tooth loss. It makes it harder to get your teeth replaced with dental implants and may cause painful complications after a tooth extraction.
- Cut Down on Snacking- Cutting down on snacking will protect both your teeth and your waistline. Snacking between meals gives oral bacteria additional food that they can then turn into acid for attacking your teeth.
- Consume Less Sugar- It’s one thing to eat sugar, but drinking it is the easiest way to coat your entire mouth in sugar without even realizing it. This means reducing your consumption of soda, sports drinks, alcoholic beverages, and flavored teas and coffees.
- Invest in a Tongue Scraper- Brushing your tongue with a toothbrush can remove some bacteria, but it isn’t the best method. If you really want to ensure your tongue is as clean and bacteria-free as possible, invest in a tongue scraper to enhance your oral health.
- Stay Hydrated- When your mouth dries out, it means that there isn’t enough saliva to consistently wash away bacteria from your teeth. As a result, it can increase the risk of cavities. To prevent this from occurring, stay hydrated by drinking at least 8 cups of water a day. Sip on water all day long to help you meet this goal!
- Whiten Your Smile- It’s normal to experience some staining or yellowing from your eating and drinking habits. Fortunately, whitening your smile is quick and pain-free with our GLOScience In-office and At-Home treatments.
January Smile Special
You can have the smile you deserve before the end of the year! Most Invisalign treatment cases take between 6 and 12 months to complete. Take advantage of this month’s Smile Special and receive $750 off when you start treatment this month. The initial deposit of $1850 must be paid before January 31, 2022 in order to receive the special price.
COVID-19 Vaccine and Booster
The current surge of COVID-19 cases in Maryland and surrounding states makes it more important than ever to get vaccinated and boosted. Maryland provides excellent resources and information on the covidLINK.maryland.gov. Protect yourself and your loved ones by also wearing a mask, social distancing, practicing proper hand hygiene, and isolating and getting tested if you are feeling unwell. We continue to practice our stringent infection control protocols before, during, and after your appointment. If you have any questions, please call or email the office.
Winter Weather Policy
It’s that time of the year again! With snow likely in the forecast over the next few months, we wanted to remind you of our Winter Weather Policy. Your safety is most important to us. If you feel that it is unsafe to attend your scheduled appointment, please let us know with as much notice as possible. If we make any changes to our regular office hours, we will call scheduled patients and update our phone message, Facebook page, and Instagram page. Please make sure you follow us for up to date information!
Have a warm and safe winter season!
