Need a New Year’s Resolution?

Give Those Teeth More T.L.C.!

Here are some New Year’s resolutions you’ll find easy to make. Just keep all five in mind and, chances are, you’ll enjoy a year free of avoidable tooth emergencies!

1. Let those teeth do the job they were meant for—chewing food. Too many people use their teeth to cut thread or fishing line, crack nuts, pull staples, and tear open packages.
2. It’s not nice… to make teeth crush ice! Exposing teeth to the hard, cold surface of an ice cube can cause microscopic cracks in the enamel, which eventually weakens the tooth’s entire structure.
3. Help the tooth team survive the Sporting Life… by being fitted for, and then wearing, a mouthguard during contact sports like boxing, football, and hockey.
4. Spare those molars “brittle breakdown.” Biting directly on hard foots (peanut brittle is a prime example) can be very stressful to teeth.
5. Get more picky… about eating “sticky.” Caramels, dried fruit and taffy can be tough on teeth, especially if you wear braces.

Have a healthy and happy 2014!