Reinforcing Healthy Habits While at Home

In Raleigh NC

As we embark on a new month, we round out a full year of sheltering at home during the pandemic. We have each weathered a change in our routines, expectations, and daily activities, and our lives have felt uncertain and unpredictable much of the time. As you look back on the year, what were you able to manage? What was still within your control? We at Red Oak Dentistry want to encourage you to take care of your oral health. This is one thing you can do while laying low at home.

Working from Home

Of course, maintaining healthy oral habits is easier said than done. But as we continue to wait for the dust to settle and our life to pick up where we left off, oral health can seem like a small thing and so easily fall by the wayside if we are not careful. Here’s what we recommend you do while you work from home to maintain optimal oral health and avoid a mouthful of cavities and other dental issues.

Diet

Studies have shown that the consumption of comfort foods, processed snacks, and alcoholic beverages is on the rise as we cope during these prolonged periods of constant family togetherness and isolation. We’ve all discovered that our new normal is anything but normal, so it’s natural that we have been grasping for some variety of comfort. But it’s no secret that sugary and acidic food and drink can destroy enamel and wreak havoc on teeth. If this has been your reality, limit your intake, create new habits, and change old ones that have developed over the past year. Drinking lots of water to wash away potential cavity-causing bacteria is a helpful hack when you do indulge in some of your favorite feel-good food and drink.

Exercise

If you haven’t already implemented daily exercise into your routine, it’s never too late. Not only does exercise help to reduce stress, boost our moods, and aid in better sleep, it also has shown to benefit our teeth and gums. Studies show that regular exercise helps prevent periodontal disease and boost gum health. Those with a healthier weight are much less prone to developing gum disease. As the weather changes, get outside more, take a walk, and move your body.

Self-Care

One thing to keep in mind is that this pandemic will not go on forever, and caring for ourselves now means optimal oral health once social distancing and masking is a thing of the past. When that time comes and the masks are removed, your breath and the state of your teeth will matter even more. How you care for yourself now, or fail to do so, will have an impact on your future oral health. Brush now for a healthier tomorrow. When this virus is in the rearview mirror, you’ll be glad you did.

Get the Kids into a Routine

If you’ve got children, you’ve been forced to oversee their Zoom school as they’ve endured a new form of education. Like you, life has become much more fluid, sedentary, and online. What can you do to create for them a healthier daily routine? Now that they no longer need to get fully dressed as they learn from home or eat breakfast before leaving for school, forgetting to brush their teeth is a real thing. But a morning brush is as crucial to the success of their oral health as ever. So, set up a regular practice for them. Have them brush right after their breakfast or during their first Zoom school break. Schedule it into their morning routine.

Moving Forward

The key to excellent oral health is to carry these new healthy habits forward as restrictions are lifted. Healthy, happy smiles don’t just happen. And what we need to do to maintain them isn’t rocket science. But routine is essential. And incorporating healthy habits around your diet, daily body movement, and self-care will bolster your oral health. Make oral hygiene and all that might enhance your dental health be your focus today.