As the year comes to an end, many are making New Year’s Resolutions for 2012.  The most typical resolutions are to quit smoking, being more fit, and getting a hold of your finances.  You may be surprised to know that the most typical New Year’s resolutions actually play an important part in improving your overall oral health, too!

1) Quit Smoking
One of the most popular resolutions is to quit smoking, and if this is one of your resolutions, we applaud your decision!  There are many adverse affects to smoking, so a few positive things you may notice once you quit are better breath, improved  health and better oral health.  Smoking also causes a yellowing of teeth (often reversible by teeth whitening) and negatively affects your gums.  This resolution is one that many may not know has incredible oral health benefits, but it does!

2) Eating Healthy
This resolution often goes hand in hand with exercising more and losing weight.  It’s a great resolution to have a goal weight in mind, and many trainers suggest a week by week weight loss goal leading up to the final goal.  Simply cutting sugary drinks like soda from your diet make a huge difference not only around your waistline, but with your teeth!  The lower sugar consumption makes it less likely that the bacterium that causes cavities will breed in your mouth.

3) Get out of debt
This tends to be a resolution for many Americans, and websites like Mint.com aim to help Americans achieve this goal.  Did you know that the number one cause of debt tends to be medical bills?  You can avoid costly emergency room visits for painful tooth infections by making it a point to see your dentist at 6-month intervals.  Oftentimes, they can catch problems before they become bigger issues.  For example, a filling for a cavity may cost around $200, while a crown or root canal can cost around $1000!  You can also shop smart for your dental health by using DentistUSA.com to find dental deals in your area.

4) Drinking More Water
Many women resolve to drink more water in hopes of better skin complexion, not just because the recommended dosage is 8 glasses a day.  Did you know that drinking water is beneficial to cleanse your teeth?  For example, if you drink a glass of wine and follow with water, the wine has less time to sit and stain your teeth.  In addition to that, the fluoride in most tap water prevents against cavities.   Drinking water will not only improve your complexion, but also improve your overall oral health.

5) Cutting Back on Coffee
In a nation addicted to coffee, it’s not surprising that many people resolve to cut back on coffee or eliminate their consumption altogether.  This can certainly help cut down the cost associated with boutique coffee shops and even help one’s health improve!  One of the biggest physical side effects of coffee consumption is yellow teeth.  This can be easily resolved by drinking less coffee and professional teeth whitening treatments.

We hope everyone has a happy and healthy 2012 and we wish you all the best achieving your goals.  Happy New Year from DentistUSA.com!