6 Ways To Improve Your Oral Health In 2025
With the hustle and bustle of the holidays now behind us, you might be focused on how you can make the most of 2025 and the healthy habits you can put into place that will improve your health and overall life. If you’re working through your New Year’s resolution list for 2025, we’d like to offer an important recommendation: improving your oral hygiene. Continue reading to learn why this is so important, as well as 6 things you can do this year to improve your oral health.
Why Oral Hygiene Is so Important
When you think about oral hygiene, you might first think about cavity prevention and maintaining a bright, beautiful smile. And while those are both wonderful goals, the importance of good oral hygiene goes even deeper. In addition to helping you maintain healthy teeth and gums, good oral hygiene is essential for whole-body wellness.
Our mouths are home to billions of bacteria, some of which pose a danger to our health and contribute to heart disease, stroke, and even pregnancy complications. By staying on top of your dental health, you’re keeping these dangerous bacteria at bay and ensuring your mouth and body are as healthy as possible.
6 Ways to Improve Your Oral Hygiene in 2025
- Brush Twice a Day. Brushing your teeth for two minutes at least twice a day helps remove food particles and plaque from your teeth before it can damage your tooth enamel or harden into tartar. To protect your teeth and gums, always use a soft-bristled toothbrush and gentle brush strokes. It’s also important to keep your toothbrush at a 45-degree angle to clean plaque and bacteria from along the gumline.
- Make Flossing a Daily Habit. Statistics show that only about 1/3 of adults floss daily, yet it’s just as important as brushing when it comes to keeping your gums healthy! Whether you opt for dental floss or dental picks, flossing helps clean the areas between your teeth that brushing can’t reach. Aim to floss once a day to remove food particles and bacteria from between your teeth.
- Don’t Neglect Your Tongue. When brushing your teeth, make sure you also take a few moments to brush your tongue with either a toothbrush or tongue scraper. Our tongues tend to hold on to bacteria like a sponge. Not only can this bacteria wreak havoc with your oral health, but it can also cause bad breath.
- Avoid Smoking. Cigarettes and other tobacco products are detrimental to your oral health and a leading cause of oral cancer and gum disease. If you currently smoke and would like help quitting, we recommend speaking with your healthcare provider to discuss treatment options.
- Drink More Water. You likely know how important it is to drink plenty of water each day, but did you also know how beneficial it is for your oral health? Drinking water helps prevent dry mouth (a common winter issue) and also helps rinse food particles, sugars, and bacteria from your mouth between brushings. In addition to drinking water throughout the day, it’s a good idea to drink a glass of water after meals—especially if you can’t brush right away.
- Visit the Dentist Regularly. Coming into our office for regular dental exams and cleanings is an essential part of your preventive care routine. During each visit, we’ll check your mouth for signs of infection, clean and polish your teeth, and address any oral health concerns you’ve been experiencing since your last visit.
Let Us Be Part of Your 2025 Wellness Goals
From fresher breath to a cleaner, more beautiful smile, these 6 strategies will help improve your oral health in 2025 and beyond. If you don’t currently have a dental exam and cleaning scheduled, or it’s been a while since your last appointment, please contact our office located in Spring Hill, FL to schedule an appointment. Please also contact us if you’re experiencing any current oral health concerns, such as bleeding gums, tooth pain, or loose teeth.
From all of us at Ackley Dental Group, we wish you and your family a happy and healthy 2025!
