Your Dental New Year's Resolutions!

You set all your New Year's resolutions for your nutrition and fitness goals, but... Did you remember to set any resolutions for your dental health? Access Dental and Dentures is here to help you achieve your optimal dental health so you can feel more confident, healthy, and happy! Keep reading for the resolutions you should definitely add to your list this year. 

1. Brush for 2 full minutes every morning and night

You know you're supposed to brush your teeth every morning and every night. But, did you know that you're supposed to brush them for 2 minutes every time? This is important so your teeth get clean enough every day - 30 seconds just won't remove enough plaque to keep your teeth as healthy as they should be. 

2. Floss daily

Daily flossing is important for your teeth. It keeps food particles from festering against your gums and in between each tooth. If those particles sit there without being cleaned away, they can cause inflammation and tooth decay. Floss every night so food particles don't stay there overnight. It's also a good idea to floss after a meal if you can. 

3. Quit smoking! 

Smoking is a bad habit that is detrimental to your health in many ways. One of those ways is gum inflammation, being more prone to infection, and causing stains on your teeth. Make the commitment to quit this year for a healthier 2022! 

4. Reduce foods and drinks that cause stains

There are a lot of foods and drinks that can cause stains on your teeth. Reducing these in your diet can help keep your bright white smile protected. Common culprits are coffee, dark alcohol, and dark berries. If you do consume these items, just make sure to flush your mouth out with water to rinse away the stain-causing materials. Otherwise, they'll continue to stain throughout the day.

5. Make the switch to electric

No, we're not talking electric cars; we're talking toothbrushes! Switching to an electric toothbrush could greatly improve your dental health game. The ultrasonic vibrations from the toothbrush can give you more effective brushing with less effort! 

6. Reduce sugar intake

Sugar sticks to your teeth and feeds bacteria, allowing them to grow and cause damage to your teeth and inflammation to your gums. Reducing sugar can help make you feel better and keep your teeth healthy!

7. Stay hydrated throughout the day

Drinking plenty of water is very important to your overall health. Plus, it's good for your teeth as well. Water can flush away food particles that would otherwise stay stuck on the surface of your teeth. Most water that comes from the city also contains fluoride, which strengthens your tooth enamel. 

8. Schedule your next dentist appointment

If you don't put your next dentist appointment on the calendar, then it could be really easy to forget and let the time slip away. Relying on the dentist office to call you in six months isn't always a reliable way to reschedule. What if you miss the call? Instead, schedule your next dentist appointment now, put a note on your calendar, and make every following appointment at your next dentist appointment so you never get behind. 

Best Dentist in Missouri

Access Dental and Dentures is the best dentist in southern Missouri and we are here to help you achieve your goals and feel healthier and happier in 2022. Stay in touch with us on social media, and be sure to call us to schedule your next dentist appointment soon. We have several locations, so it will be easy to find one near you! 

We want to be your dentist because your family deserves a great smile! 

1-877-DENTIST

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Set Your 2021 Intentions!

It's New Year's Eve, and Access Dental and Dentures is so happy to wish you and yours a very happy new year! As we say goodbye to 2020, you may be thinking about setting some New Year's resolutions to help enjoy a healthier, happier year in 2021. Access Dental and Dentures always puts your health first, and we are here to share our tips for creating attainable resolutions that you can stick to well into the new year. Keep reading to get inspired! 

Balanced Diet

More and more, research is showing that maintaining a balanced diet is the best way to lose weight, keep it off, and enjoy a healthier lifestyle. You don't necessarily need to go on a strict cleanse in the new year. Having a healthy diet is more about balance and making more "right" choices than "wrong" choices. Sometimes starting the New Year off with a strict diet can be demoralizing if it doesn't work out. Instead, simply start out by making healthier choices. Trade your breakfast doughnut for a bowl of frozen berries and plain Greek yogurt. As the frozen berries thaw, their juices will naturally sweeten the yogurt for less calories! The vitamins and protein could also help improve your health in addition to removing that added sugar from your diet. Lessening added sugar is also good for your dental health.

Drink More Water

Water is incredibly important to your health for many reasons. While there is water-content in many food types, water is clearly the best way to stay hydrated. Staying hydrated is important for your immune system, cognitive function, and overall wellbeing. Drinking more water can also help you maintain a healthier diet by filling up your stomach to feel less hungry.

Drinking water is also very good for your oral health. It can keep your mouth cleaner from bacteria and debris by rinsing away harmful materials that would otherwise build up. Most water is also fortified by fluoride and other minerals that are helpful to your teeth. Fluoride helps strengthen your enamel. So drink up for a healthier and happier smile!

Improve Your Dental Routine

Dental health is important for overall health as well, so keeping a good routine is important! Make sure you are brushing at least twice a day. This helps remove bad breath in the morning and clean your teeth of bacteria and food particles accumulated throughout the day every night.

It is also a good idea to rinse your mouth after each meal to help free pieces of food from in between your teeth so they aren't sitting there all day and causing damage. Carrying a travel-sized mouthwash could also be very helpful in keeping your teeth clean and fresh all day.

Flossing is another daily habit that you should adopt if you haven't already. Flossing removes debris that gets stuck between your teeth and can't be removed with just a simple mouth rinse. This is important because it prevents inflammation and bacteria growth that could damage teeth and make you sick.

Best Missouri Dentist

Stay healthy, happy, and confident in 2021 with attainable goals! As you work to improve your health each and every day, remember that you have an ally - Access Dental and Dentures. We have the best dental clinics in southern Missouri, with several convenient locations and incredible quality and service. Give us a call to schedule your next appointment: 1-877-DENTIST. We can't wait to help you!

We want to be your dentist because your family deserves a great smile! 

1-877-DENTIST

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Diets & Dental Health - How are They Connected?

Before you pick a diet for the New Year, make sure to consider all of the factors, including how it will affect your dental health. There are a lot of popular diets out there and each of them can affect your dental health differently. Access Dental and Dentures is the best dentist in southern Missouri and we are here to help you sort through your diet options and how they can affect you. Keep reading to learn more!  

Dairy-Free Diets

A few good examples of popular dairy-free diets are Paleo and Whole30. The Paleo diet encourages participants to eat meat, fish, eggs, vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, herbs, spices, healthy fats, and oils. People on this diet are also supposed to avoid processed foods, sugar, soft drinks, grains, dairy products, legumes, artificial sweeteners, vegetable oils, margarine, and trans fats. Whole 30 abides by five major rules: No added sugar, no alcohol, no grains, no legumes, and no dairy. Most of these items can be good to avoid, but not always.

Dairy is often considered beneficial for bones and teeth due to its calcium content. Until recently, all dairy was thought to have the same effect on teeth. The Academy of General Dentistry published a study that indicates cheese could actually have anti-cavity properties. It does this by reducing the level of acidity in your mouth and increasing saliva production! Check out the research in Science Daily here: (https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/06/130605130118.htm).

Low Carb Diets

One of the most popular diets in recent years has been the Low-Carb Diet. You may have heard of "Keto", which at its core is a low or no-carb diet. The idea of these diets is to optimize your body to burn fat by reducing or eliminating carbs. This diet could also reduce your folic acid and fiber intake, though, if you are not careful to replace grains with a high volume of leafy greens and beans.

These diets can be detrimental to your oral health because of the elimination of fruits. Fruits are considered carbs on these diets because of their natural sugar content, so they are either not allowed or limited on almost all Low-Carb Diets. But fruits can be helpful to your oral health! Particularly fruits like apples, pears, and watermelon. These fruits have higher water content and cause you to salivate more when eating them. Saliva production is incredibly important to keep your mouth hydrated and free of bacteria. If your choice is between a piece of low-carb pie and an apple, the higher-carb apple may be a healthier choice for your teeth.

Liquid Cleanses

Some people like to start the new year off with a power punch to their health journey. Liquid and juice diets can be very effective for rapid weight loss, but their merits are often debated in the medical community. It can be difficult to get the nutrients you need from fluids alone, and the loss of fiber and roughage in your diet could cause stomach issues.

A liquid diet could also be harmful to your dental health. Crunchy health foods like carrots and apples can help reduce the buildup of plaque by literally pushing it off your teeth. Liquid diets can also be acidic and high in sugar because juices and smoothies tend to be what people on this diet grab first.

Ask Your Dentist

Always remember, you should consult with your doctor before making a drastic change in your daily diet. As the best dentist in the Springfield area, Access Dental and Dentures is here to help your dental health be as good as possible. Whether you are looking to start a new diet or just want to boost your oral health in 2021, we are here for you. Give us a call to set up an appointment and learn more about how to lead a healthier life. We are here for you!

We want to be your dentist because your family deserves a great smile! 

1-877-DENTIST

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Healthy, Achievable New Year's Resolutions for 2020!

Setting New Year's Resolutions can be difficult. You want to choose something that is possible and achievable but that will also challenge you and improve your life or habits in some way. Access Dental and Dentures is the best dentist in the Springfield area and we have the tips to help you choose the resolutions that are right for you! Read on to learn more and choose your favorites.

Stay on Top of Oral Health

Keep your oral health in tip top shape for 2020 and remember your dental care. Make sure you are brushing at least twice a day. This helps remove bad breath in the morning and clean your teeth of bacteria and food particles accumulated throughout the day every night.

It is also a good idea to rinse your mouth after each meal to help free pieces of food from in between your teeth so they aren't sitting there all day and causing damage. Carrying a travel-sized mouthwash could also be very helpful in keeping your teeth clean and fresh all day.

Another really important health habit for your teeth is flossing every day to make sure the hard-to-reach areas between your teeth are clean and stay healthy.

Drink More Water

Water is incredibly important to your health for many reasons. Staying hydrated, maintaining a healthy diet, and keeping your mouth cleaner from bacteria and debris are all health benefits of drinking more water.

Drinking water is fortified by fluoride and other minerals that are helpful to your oral health. Fluoride helps strengthen your enamel. So drink up for a healthier and happier smile!

Choose Healthy Foods

You don't necessarily need to go on a strict cleanse to be a healthy individual. Having a healthy diet is more about balance and making more right choices than wrong choices. Sometimes starting the New Year off with a strict diet can be demoralizing if it doesn't work out. Start out by making healthier choices. Trade the breakfast doughnut for a bowl of fruit and yogurt. The vitamins and protein could help improve your health, and removing that added sugar from your diet makes a big difference for the health of your teeth.

Your Dentist in Southern Missouri

Stay on top of your oral health with simple, achievable New Year's Resolutions and regular checkups at your local dentist's office. Access Dental is the best dentist in southern Missouri and we would love to help you achieve your goals!

We want to be your dentist because your family deserves a great smile! 

1-877-DENTIST

Visit our Website
Like us on Facebook

Follow us on Twitter

Connect with us on LinkedIn