New Year's resolutions usually gravitate around improving physical health. While it's important to make resolutions about keeping your body strong, healthy, and well-fueled, oral health is often overlooked. Incorporating visits to the family dentist into your wellness priorities for the upcoming year will benefit the whole family. Here are four ways you can improve oral health habits for everyone in your family for the New Year. 

New Years Resolutions for Better Dental Health

1. Refrain From Using Tobacco Products

While these resolutions are for the whole family, quitting the use of tobacco may pertain to one or both parents. Tobacco use can have damaging effects on your oral health, including slowed healing time, gum disease, and oral cancer. Consult your family dentist for resources and programs to help you quit for good. 

2. Practice Mindful Habits Together

Children learn from their parents' example. When they see that their parents are just as invested in their own oral care as they are in their children's, it reinforces the importance of hygienic habits like brushing, flossing, and prioritizing regular visits to see the family dentist. 

That's why practicing mindful oral hygiene can help your children establish good, lifelong habits. To encourage good brushing techniques and nighttime routines, try getting the whole family involved. Ensure everyone brushes for at least two minutes by playing a song or watching a timer countdown. To help everyone feel engaged in the process, give your children jobs like handing out the floss, choosing the brushing song, and starting the timer. Let one child take turns checking to ensure everyone is holding their toothbrush at a 45-degree angle and brushing along the gumline. 

3. Eat for Oral Health

A diet filled with processed foods and an overabundance of sugar can negatively impact your child's oral health. That's why eating a healthy diet and making the conscious decision to stop purchasing sugary drinks or acidic treats helps the whole family prevent harmful bacteria from forming in the mouth. When you include habits like drinking more water, and incorporating more fruits and vegetables into meals, your children develop healthy habits they continue to practice on their own. 

Parents who prioritize good oral health habits for their kids turn to the best pediatric dentist in on Oahu, Honolulu Keiki Dental in Honolulu, HI. Dr. Dean T. Sueda, DDS, MS, and his skilled team of professionals focus on preventative and restorative dentistry, along with offering orthodontics services and emergency care. The goal is always to make your child feel as comfortable as possible, as they help your little one build healthy dental habits they can continue into adulthood. To get more information about how to become a new patient, visit them online or call (808) 944-1603 to schedule an appointment.