written by samantha tillapaugh from the debtist
If you told me that you missed your routine dental check-up and cleaning in 2020, I’ll say you wouldn’t be the first. Let us face it. 2020 brought on a slew of unexpected lemons thrown our way and now we are all here, at the beginning of a new year, sitting around with a whole lot of lemonade. If anything, we did good people! I would hardly expect dental care to have been at the top of everyone’s to-do list. We were all trying to maintain good health in other, more important ways (myself included).
A Look Ahead
However, it is now 2021 (Happy New Year!) and the perfect time to get in the full swing of things. If you are writing down a list of New Year’s Resolutions in hopes that this year becomes our best one yet, I would like to urge you to place dental care and oral health at the top of the list.
Back in March, a majority of dental offices closed their doors for a period of time. Dentists across the globe were assessing the situation, calculating risks, and racking our brains for additional precautions needed to deliver oral health care in a safe manner. We re-opened tentatively for emergency treatment until resuming preventative appointments in the summer season. Even after the doors re-opened fully, people were hesitant to leave the safety of their homes, which is completely understandable. Unfortunately, this avoidance caused an increase in dental treatment for many of my patients. This is costly in time and money, both valuable commodities after such a hectic year.
I know that seeing the dentist isn’t a favorite activity but seeking preventative care will definitely set one up for a successful year. I don’t know about you, but I need all the help I can get.
Tips to get a head start on your oral health in 2021
The bottom line
Now I know I just listed a lot of ideas and I don’t want to overwhelm you so early in the year. However, implementing at least a few of these tips would definitely give one a good head start. Prioritizing health is at the forefront of everyone’s mind. Don’t let oral health be at the tail end of it!
we’ve partnered with samantha tillapaugh, a general dentist practicing in southern california, to help spread the word about all cool things dental. when she isn’t sharing informative posts about teeth with us, she is writing at her own lifestyle blog as thedebtist. aside from writing, she travels the world, reads plenty of books sidled up next to her adopted, toothless cat, bakes sourdough bread and works as a tooth-fairy.