Living through a global pandemic for most of 2020 made it a challenging year for many of us. Despite our best intentions, the many obstacles we faced – quarantine, limited access to groceries, fear of getting sick – made it difficult to prioritize our health and stick to good habits.
As we head into a promising new year, now is the perfect time to plan to make 2021 your healthiest year yet! And there is no better place to start than with your oral health.
According to the Mayo Clinic:
To help you improve your oral health and establish healthy habits to protect your teeth, mouth and gums, we have come up with a year-long healthy smile schedule:
Winter
- Get and Understand Your Dental Insurance: Almost three quarters of Americans pay for dental insurance each year, and for good reason. While all plans differ, most cover all or most of preventive care, as well as a varying percentage of basic and major procedures. If you need to sign up for insurance, check out eHealth. To learn more about what benefits your existing coverage offers, give us a call at 908-998-4698 or send an email to roselleparkdental@gmail.com.
- Schedule Your First Dental Cleaning: According to the Mayo clinic, one of the best ways to protect your oral health is to schedule dental checkups and cleanings twice a year. Most dental insurance plans will cover 100% of twice annual exams, cleanings, and X-rays. Visit us online to schedule your first visit for 2021!
- Out With the Old … Toothbrush or Brush Head: The ADA recommends replacing your toothbrush or electric toothbrush head with a new one every three to four months. Due to daily use over time, the bristles become worn down. The older and more frayed the bristles, the less effective the brush becomes at cleaning food particles from your teeth and gums.
Spring
- Visit Us at Roselle Park Dental: One of our amazing hygienists will take x-rays of your teeth and then perform a professional cleaning to remove any built-up plaque. Next, one of our skilled dentists will inspect your teeth, gums, and overall oral health. Before you leave, be sure to set up your next cleaning appointment in six months.
- Spring Clean Your Diet: As the weather begins to warm up, it is a perfect time to make some healthy changes to what we eat to benefit both our waistline and our oral health! Making a few simple swaps, such as eating fresh fruits instead of cookies or candies and sipping on water instead of soda or juice, will reduce the amount of sugar in your diet which lowers your chance of tooth decay and may lead to weight loss as well.
- Replace Your Toothbrush or Brush Head Again😊
Summer:
- Stick to a Daily Flossing Routine: During this season of fun vacations and R&R, our regular routines and schedules often lapse. But one daily habit we should not take a break from in the summer is flossing daily! If you find yourself forgetting to floss since your bedtime is later and you are too tired, try doing it right after lunch each day instead.
- Schedule Your Second Dental Cleaning: If you haven’t already, call Roselle Park Dental at 908-998-4698 or visit us online to schedule your next cleaning appointment now to beat the back-to-school hustle and bustle.
- Replace Your Toothbrush or Brush Head Again😊
Fall:
- Assess What Dental Benefits You Have Remaining: If you have dental work you’ve put on hold, now is a good time to schedule an appointment to maximize your insurance benefits. If you have been paying a monthly premium to keep your insurance, be sure to use it before the year ends! It is also a great time to use any remaining flexible account dollars you may have saved up. Flexible accounts are created to set aside pre-tax dollars for medical and dental expenses, but if that money is not used before the end of the year, it is lost to you forever.
- Visit Us at Roselle Park Dental: We offer several amenities to help you feel at ease during your appointments, including sedation dentistry, pillows blankets, and more. We also utilize the most state-of-the-art tools and equipment to improve the accuracy, speed, and quality of the dental care we provide to you at every visit.
- Replace Your Toothbrush or Brush Head Again😊
We look forward to helping you make 2021 your healthiest year yet!
At Roselle Park Dental & Implants, our dedicated team believes that dentistry can change not only your teeth, but your overall quality of life as well for the better. That’s why we work so hard every day to give each patient a new reason to smile.
Author: Sara Magnola Taner is an online marketing and communications specialist – with a website development and editorial background – who has 15 years of experience creating and editing clear, compelling content on diverse topics across a wide-range of mediums.