Consistency is an important element in many areas of your life. If you want to be in good physical condition you need to consistently make good food choices and get exercise. Keeping your home organized requires you to consistently put items where they are supposed to go. Your oral health is no different. A healthy smile requires you to complete a few oral care tasks consistently over time. As you have likely discovered, being 100% consistent 100% of the time is extremely difficult. If you are struggling to stay consistent with your oral care tasks, consider implementing some of the tips outlined below to help you get and stay on track.
Make oral care tasks more fun
Staying consistent with your oral care tasks such as brushing and flossing is more fun if you couple it with something you enjoy. For example, listening to your favorite song while you brush and floss each day can make the tasks more fun. And, you can use the length of the song to help you ensure that you brush long enough each time. Something as simple as humming along with your favorite tune while you brush and floss can help you stay consistent with your oral care tasks.
Tie your oral care tasks to another goal
Pairing up your daily oral care tasks with another goal can help you stay consistent. For example, if you are working toward a weight loss goal, brushing can help you with the process. In the evenings, brush your teeth as soon as you are finished with dinner. This process will signal to your brain that you are finished eating for the day and (hopefully) make it less likely that you will binge on junk food right before bed.
Schedule your next routine dental appointment before you leave the dentist’s office
It is easy to miss one or two routine dental appointments and find yourself in a place where you have missed out on routine care for over a year. The infrequency of these visits makes it easy to forget about scheduling them. You can avoid this blunder by scheduling your next routine dental appointment before you leave the dentist’s office. This way, you only have to remember to schedule an appointment once and then it is simple to stay on track going forward. Never leaving the dentist’s office without having your next appointment scheduled will help you stay consistent with this element of oral care. Getting a reminder that you have an appointment scheduled makes it easier to show up than trying to remember that you need to get an appointment scheduled.
Implementing some of the tips outlined above can make it easier to stay consistent with your oral care tasks. Ultimately, the benefits of staying consistent with your oral care tasks will be a reward themselves. Consistency with these tasks will help you get and maintain a healthy, beautiful smile.
Call 904-440-0200 or request an appointment online to set up your first visit. We’ll be in touch soon.