New year, new habits: Dental care tips to enhance your routine

A new year brings with it new hope, new optimism and new motivation to improve; after 2020 we could all use some of that. And while around 80% of new year’s resolutions are thought to fail, don’t let that deter you! This is usually because the goals we set ourselves are too vague (i.e. “get fitter”) or because we haven’t thought through the steps needed to get us where we need to be.

Fortunately, when it comes to boosting our oral health, there are a series of tried and tested methods that can be your guide. And with over 30% of adults in the UK currently suffering from tooth decay, there is no better time to strive for positive changes. Here are Floe’s top tips that will help you achieve a better oral care routine in 2021 and beyond.

Finally embrace flossing

We’ve known for some time that brushing is not enough to remove all the potential plaque on and between your teeth – as – alone – it fails to reach around 40% of your teeth’s surface area. When this plaque begins to build up, it becomes dangerous and can potentially lead to gum disease and tooth erosion or decay.

Despite this, most of us don’t typically floss, with only 31% of people in the UK saying they usually clean between their teeth. Many people neglect to floss because they can’t see any food stuck between their teeth – even though harmful plaque isn’t usually visible anyway.

To improve our oral health, we need to view flossing as equally important to brushing. Ensure you always have a plentiful supply of dental floss – that you keep alongside your brush and toothpaste – so you can encourage yourself to use it every day.

Change your brush regularly

This is a big one – dentists recommend we swap out our old brush for a brand new one every three months. You might think that simply brushing thoroughly twice a day is enough, but the condition of your brush can have a big impact on your oral health. This is because once bristles become frayed and worn, they begin to bend away from your teeth as you brush, missing crucial cleaning areas. They may even become spiky and sharp, proving damaging to your gums. Older brushes are also far more likely to harbour potentially harmful bacteria.

Say hi to your dentist again

Sadly, the pandemic has made regular check-ups at the dentist impossible for many of us. In the UK between March and June, practices were permitted to open only for urgent procedures, but many are still yet to reopen for routine appointments. And the reality of this long wait between check-ups – over a year and counting for many people – is an increase in the number of problems going unnoticed. When left untreated, tooth decay, gum disease and oral infections can prove far more dangerous.

As 2021 hopefully sees the return to something approaching normality, booking a dental appointment should be a top priority as soon as possible. In the meantime, we should all continue to pay even closer attention than usual to our oral health and seek advice if we find anything concerning.

Improve your technique

Like any activity we carry out daily, brushing soon becomes automatic to us – and this means our standards may slip. The more attention we pay when brushing our teeth, the more of our mouth we’ll cover and the more effectively we’ll clear plaque. This is what to remember if you want to improve your brushing technique:

• Brush for two minutes, twice a day
• Brush firmly, but not too hard to damage your teeth or gums
• Use a tight, circular motion
• Don’t forget the gum line

Choose the right tools with Floe

Oral health is an integral part of our overall health – which means it’s important to use quality tools to take care of our mouths. These don’t have to be expensive – electric brushes aren’t essential – but if you know what to look for, you’ll notice the difference when it comes to your oral health. Floe’s subscription box is full of everything you need for a complete oral health routine at a price that doesn’t cost the earth:

• A Swiss-made Curaprox toothbrush – with over 5000 soft bristles – gives unrivalled cleaning coverage.
• Special Dawn toothpaste to help whiten your teeth, and anti-cavity Dusk paste.
• Activated charcoal dental floss reaches the 40% of your mouth that brushing can’t.

The Floe box is delivered to your door every three months, meaning you’ll never run out of supplies. This reliability will help you build the positive oral care habits we’ve explored in this article, over time strengthening them into a routine. Subscribe to Floe to ensure 2021 is the year you stick to your oral care resolutions!